Larry Keith Lindsey

July 2, 1939 – August 24, 2026

Larry Keith Lindsey, 87, of Sikeston, Missouri, passed away on August 24, 2026, at Missouri Delta Medical Center, surrounded by the loving and devoted family he spent a lifetime putting first.

Born on July 2, 1939, in Sikeston, Larry was the son of Addine and Kelly Hobson Lindsey. He grew up in the community he would call home for most of his life, and even as a boy, he was already hard at work. At just twelve years old, he began delivering papers to every downtown business and home in Sikeston — a route he knew so well that, to the end of his days, he could tell you exactly who lived and worked at every stop. That same year, he began carrying out groceries at Edwards IGA, and what started as an after-school job became his life's work. He continued there through high school as part of the distributive education program, learning the grocery business from the ground up.

In 1962, Larry answered his country's call and joined the United States Army, where he proudly served and advanced to the rank of Sergeant. In 1967, he came back to Sikeston and bought the very store where he'd started sweeping floors and bagging groceries as a kid. He loved everything about it: visiting with customers, cutting meat, and carrying out groceries just as he always had. In those years, it wasn't unusual for a mother or grandmother to send a child, sometimes as young as five, across the street with a handwritten list and a charge to their house account, trusting Larry to fill every item and send them safely home. He never forgot a face, and he never forgot a family.

In 1992, Larry and his wife Bonnie relocated for a new adventure in Leitchfield, Kentucky, where they opened a Piggly Wiggly together. He poured himself into that store and into the young people who worked there — his "Piggly Wiggly kids”. He was always the first one through the door and usually the last one to leave, and he loved (almost) every minute. His influence ran deep: to this day, those same kids say they still can't walk past a messy store shelf without stopping to face it. And don't forget to rotate the stock.

After retiring in 2002 and returning to Sikeston, Larry proved that "retirement" was simply not a concept that applied to him. He went on to work in real estate at Century 21 - Premiere Realty and continued to work until almost the very end. 

Shortly after returning to Sikeston, he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that had been diagnosed in only 500 patients worldwide. Turning to M.D. Anderson for care, he was accepted into a phase II clinical trial with 29 other patients. His willingness to participate advanced understanding of treatment protocols for patients with this type of cancer. He is the longest survivor of this clinical trial. A miracle no doubt!

Beyond his professional life, Larry was a man of deep community and fraternal commitment. He was a 32nd Degree Mason and a proud 61-year member of the Freemasons. His other civic organizations included Shriners, Kiwanis and the Elks.

But for all he built and all he accomplished, what mattered most to Larry was Bonnie. They had been together for nearly seventy years, a true love story. They broke up a time or two while dating, but it never lasted. On one memorable occasion, Larry sent the mailman to deliver the message that he wanted to talk to her. (They didn't have a phone, and it seemed like the most efficient option at the time.) On September 15,1962, he made it official, and for nearly 64 years of marriage, he made it count.

Having been a girl dad three times over, Larry was later rewarded with seven grandsons and two granddaughters. There is surely a special place in heaven for girl dads! He took his grandkids to Churchill Downs to teach them the finer points of horse racing, and he loved the game of golf, even if he never quite gave himself enough time to play it. On school mornings, his daughters were roused not by an alarm clockbut by their dad — guitar with two strings in hand, singing "The Wheels on the Bus," flipping the lights on and off until there was no choice but to get up. It was not appreciated at the time. It is deeply cherished now.

Larry is survived by his beloved wife, Bonnie; his three daughters, Wendy Cox (Jimmy), Missy Nance, and Amy Evans (Joel); nine grandchildren, Lindsey, Jay (Amy), William, and Jacob Cox, Cristian, Hayes, and Jack Evans, and Tavner and Laine Nance; and three great-grandchildren, Lily, Emma, and James Cox.

Visitation will be held on Friday, August 28, 2026, from 11:00 a.m. until the funeral hour at 1:00 p.m. at the McMikle Funeral Home in Sikeston, MO. Mary McCord will officiate.

Interment with full military honors will follow at the Blodgett Cemetery.

The family wishes to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the staff of Missouri Delta Medical Center —particularly Dr. Iqbal, Dr. Kahn, Amy Folsom, Penny James, Catherine Schrumpf, Courtney, Brooke, and Coco on 3H, Angela Grant, and Drew Barber. Your love and care show up in all you do.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Malone Park Center for the Arts, 132 W. Center St., Sikeston, MO 63801, or to the Missouri Delta Medical Center Foundation, 1008 N. Main St., Sikeston, MO 63801.

We would have kept him around forever. But it was time for him to rest.

Online condolences may be shared at www.mcmiklefuneralhome.com