Galen L. Latta

Galen L. Latta, 84, of Marysville, Kan., died December 13, 2017 at Lincoln, Neb. Visitation was Sunday, December 17, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. at Kinsley Mortuary in Marysville. The family received friends 4 to 6 p.m. A funeral service was held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, December 18, at the United Methodist Church in Marysville. Rev. Dale Lewis officiated. The musicians were Deb Landoll and Ken Gustin. Music included "In the Garden”, “How Great Thou Art”, and “Old Rugged Cross”. The pallbearers were his grandsons, John J. Runnebaum, Dustin O’Neil, Garret O’Neil, Jacob Latta, Ryan Latta, Raudy Latta, and Ross Latta. The honorary pallbearers were his granddaughters, Jessie Gurtler, Nicole Nelson, Abby Rottinghaus, Jori Latta, Stephanie McClung, and Rose Latta. Burial was in the Marysville City Cemetery. Galen was born in a rural farmhouse, north-west of Home, Kan., on October 6, 1933, to Robert and Velma (Thompson) Latta. In 1951, he graduated from Axtell High School. From 1951-1953, he served in the U.S. Army at Fort Kobbe in the Panama Canal Zone. On June 30, 1956, he was united in marriage to Thelma Rose Gustin at Centralia, Kan. They were blessed with five children, Amy, Robert, Rodney, Randy and Mary. In April of 1969 Galen started Latta Plumbing Company in Marysville. He employed his three sons in the plumbing business as well as his wife and two daughters. He enjoyed all his customers throughout the years. Galen enjoyed spending time with his big family as often as possible, tinkering in his shop and watching car races and boxing. He would go fishing, play cards, go to the casinos and would play practical jokes on his friends and family. In the summer he enjoyed keeping up his yard and mowing. Galen would visit all the area nursing homes, retirement homes and senior centers and share his amazing talent of playing the piano by ear. He could not read a note of music, but his music was beautiful. Galen will be missed by so many of his friends and family. He was preceded in death by his parents and his brother Jack Latta. Survivors include his wife, Thelma; children, Amy (John) Runnebaum, Robert (Stacey) Latta, Rodney (Susie) Latta, all of Marysville, Randy Latta, Washington, Kan., and Mary (Tony) Schmale, Marysville; sisters-in-law, Sarah Latta, Greenwood, SC, Kathy Smith, Axtell, and Marlene Gustin, Marysville; 13 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. A memorial fund has been established and will be designated later. Contributions may be sent in care of Kinsley Mortuary. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Galen L. Latta, please visit our flower store.