larry ronald jernigan, my bro. He was an enigma, which according to the big dictionary
he always used means a riddle inside a mystery. Yes, larry was an enigma, near genius 
level IQ with a PhD in psychology which he earned while married and working the entire
period of time.

He was the absent-minded professor, always losing his glasses, his keys, his billfold,
and his checkbook. But he always told me they weren't lost he just could not remember 
where he put them and they would turn up. And sure enough they did, except the few times
he had to call the locksmith to get his keys out of the trunk when they were actually 
not in the trunk!

larry was an idealist, but he was a very down to earth, salt of the earth man. He was kind
and generous to a fault, especially when it came to people, integrity and the treatment
of humankind. larry's experiences from his childhood onward somehow created a person very
different from the average or typical professional.  

larry was a lover of small children, old cars, and trails through the woods. He didn�t 
care much for fishing or hunting especially after surviving a grizzly bear attack. He 
never could watch Gentle Ben on TV. 

larry had a fall off a galloping horse and broke half the bones in his body. There was
also a canoe experience down the Rio Grande River at flood stage, in which he almost 
drowned. That landed him with a broken leg. Then there was a mountain climbing experience,
which found him on top of the mountain after dark in cold weather. larry was a very 
adventuresome soul. I can�t remember all of his injuries.

larry struggled with being successful. He always felt he had more than his share of the
world goods and was always trying to even the score. larry wasn�t into wearing suits; 
not interested in big cities and traffic, or the commercial world. He never passed a
hitchhiker by; always picked them up and gave them money. larry was generous, never 
turned anyone down that asked him for money.   

Just going back and reminiscing, he once told me about how he had contributed to charities,
not in a bragging kind of way, but just to say I have way more of the world resources
than my share. Kind of the argument about America being so spoiled and selfish while the
rest of the world was starving. He, on the one hand, tried scheme after scheme, and had
good job after good job, but he could not tolerate the backbiting, hypocrisy, or lack of
integrity that he saw in many of the organizations he was involved in. 

He hated attorneys, insurance companies that were dishonest, wearing suits, going to
meetings, and politics (even the small scale university level politics and business 
politics). He was very much opposed to those concepts to the extent that he was willing
to walk out and quit his job.  

larry was very practical. Hy-Top brands tasted just as good to him as any other kind. 
He would always tell me if I was going to pickup groceries, not to get him that high 
priced stuff. He bought his clothes at Wal-Mart on the high end and Goodwill was more
the norm. Everyone gave him stuff. He had his old ragged torn up stuff that he liked 
to wear, coveralls with the knees out of them. 

He spent his first 18 years of life in a fairly normal manner. He was very much involved
in the 4th Avenue Baptist Church 3 times a week, church camps, church choir, the whole 
nine yards. Then there was a little disruption in the family and we were into our rebellious
teenage years and he kind of rebelled a little more than others. He was defiantly anti
establishment and he liked to have fun. He just did things and got himself in trouble. 

larry was involved in a bad industrial accident that hurt him worse emotionally and 
mentally than physically. On the inside he was just really hurting. But he maintained
an upbeat attitude on the outside. The final straw I guess was the injustice of having
to deal with the healthcare system, workman�s comp, and attorneys to try to find some
justice for the accident that had been perpetrated on him. Then he failed at that.  

The last two years or more have been a time of great closeness for my little bro and
I. We spent just an awful lot of good times and a lot of tough times together. larry
really struggled with a lot of issues, things he called the tar baby (a song of the south).
However, I think he had some pleasure in these last two years. He would head off on
his walks with earplugs singing at the top of his lungs. He loved to kid and joke. He
would call my office and tell the receptionist he was Omar Gadafy or Bill Clinton.
Always joking, it was because of that kid inside him. 

larry spent every morning from one half to an hour praying though he was not a church
goer or a joiner. He was confused and uncertain about religion, but he had no doubts
about who his savor was; and that savor was indeed a friend, someone very much involved
in his life and responsible for many of the things he said, did, and believed in so 
fiercely. He loved to roam. He loved the outdoors. He liked to make trails. In fact
that was something he did everywhere that he lived the best I can tell. I will miss
him but I know he is far happier than he had been here on earth.  

In our own way we all tried to change larry to make him more like us... 
more acceptable to society... more materialistic and establishment. 
In the end we failed to change him...in his own way he changed us. 
He wanted to be there for us...he failed and we failed. We will never be
the same...he will always be with us. I know the Lord has him in his bosom.
I have no doubt whatsoever about that.  

	Eulogy for larry ronald jernigan By Blaine Jernigan

No one that knew Uncle larry would argue that he was an unconventional man.
He had a lot of pain in his life and he caused some pain in those that loved
him. He was pure in heart and free from hypocrisy; he never struggled with 
prejudice. He did not worry about tomorrow but allowed tomorrow to care for
itself. larry treated people the same way he wanted to be treated. He was not
haughty in mind but associated with the lowly. He gave freely to those in need
and he loved with his whole heart. 

larry, like all of mankind, was a sinner. Thankfully, while we were yet sinners
Christ died for us! The book of Romans tells us that if you confess with your
mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead 
you will be saved and larry did this. He was a lot of fun and brought joy and
laughter to those around him.

larry jernigan, not a perfect man but forgiven by the one who matters most!