After a long and successful history of bird hunting, a Moniteau County man was posthumously honored for his achievements with a hall of fame nod.
The late Larry Carpenter, a Clarksburg native, was nominated for the National Bird Hunters Association Hall of Fame at his May 2020 funeral. His family would learn that he'd be inducted just two months later. A year later, Larry Carpenter joins the Hall of Fame as an inductee.
Tawnya (Carpenter) Pace, Larry Carpenter's daughter, told the Democrat he deserved to be recognized for his accomplishments.
"My husband and our family, along with my sister, Laura, and her husband and my mom, Pam, were traveling back from a week-long vacation in Florida (in July) when my brother, Kevin, had received the news that (the association) accepted the nomination," Pace said. "He was going to be inducted in July of 2021."
While Pace said she initially had some mixed emotions about the induction due to his death to ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) just two months prior in 2020, she was very excited that her father would be recognized for all his hard work over the years.
From the time they heard the news last year, Pace said the entire family planned on attending the ceremony. With that in mind, she said she was proud to have such a tight-knit family and thankful to her mother and father for making it that way.
The trip to the induction included Pace, her husband and their three children, along with their spouses, her mother, her father's brother, and her two siblings, their spouses, and their children. She said a large family came together to support a very important event.
"It was emotional for us, as it is a great honor to have your dad (grandfather, great-grandfather and brother) inducted nationally, especially knowing that they are not there in person to accept the award, but we knew he would be smiling if he was there," Pace said. "As Kevin, Laura and I accepted the award for my dad, I remember looking out in the crowd and there were friends of his that had tears in their eyes. Then you look out at his legacy and you know he made an impression on everyone in his life."
Pace said she was happy to see her father recognized for all of his years as part of the National Bird Hunters Association, the Missouri Bird Hunters Association, and his work with English Setters through his business, Carpenter's Kennels.
Pace said her father spent much of his time hunting and performing important work for the Missouri Bird Hunting Association. She said he was a man who was dedicated, not only to the organization, but also the people in his life and it is a skill that served him well.
"My dad never met a stranger," Pace said. "He could talk to you for hours, even if he had just met you. That has been passed down to me and my brother, as we know no stranger ourselves. He took pride in Clarksburg and always wanted to see the best in our community. He was willing to help anyone and wanted the best for them. He saw potential in people that others would not."