Larry Wayne Halm
9/2/52 - 5/6/20
A fine man. A friend to all who knew him.
The family of Larry Wayne Halm mourns his death, May 6, 2020 at the Guadalupe Regional Medical Center in his hometown Seguin, Texas.

On the day of his birth September 2, 1952, Larry's mother, Maxine Bergfeld Halm, beamed as she told his father Virgil Roger Halm "This is the happiest day of my life because our son is born." From that day forward his parents adored Larry as their only child.

Larry Halm had an idyllic childhood because he grew up in a house across the street from his maternal grandparents, Virginia King Bergfeld and William A. Bergfeld. The grandparents' farms bore vast fields of corn and alphalfa, while the pasture land was dotted with huge live oak trees that sheltered a herd of grazing cattle. The beauty of seasons surrounded Larry. From infancy to manhood, Larry Halm's life was filled with dogs, cats, lizards, birds, lightening bugs, crawdads frogs and fish. "They just took-up with me" he said. "Because they knew I would take care of them." Larry helped his "Grandpa B." gather ripe vegetables from his multi-acre garden. "Grandma B." needed his help in picking up nuts from the ground to fill bushel baskets with their pecan harvest. Sometimes Grandma hollered "snake!!" Larry knew to dash to Grandma's hen houses. He had to help her rid the nests of a hungry chicken snake.

When the first week in October arrived, Larry and his Dad knew it was time to rope, pull and coax huge Herford bulls into trailers and pickup trucks. Then they transported the bulls to the fair grounds to be judged for top prizes at the Guadalupe County Fair.

On Friday evenings, Larry's parents asked him to help set the tables and chairs for their groups of friends who brought covered-dish foods to a meal they called Supper Club. The Halms coached their young son on how to welcome Supper Club guests at the door with polite conversation. Larry learned friendliness and manners from their loving and stable parenting. Larry always went to church with his parents – Sunday school, worship service, Bible school and Methodist youth camp in summer. He was a dedicated Methodist, a member of the very congregation of his great, great grandparents – Euphemia Ashby King and William George King. The Kings helped to establish the First Methodist Church on Austin Street, in Seguin.

At the Kings-Woods home on Court Street, Larry frequently visited his school teacher aunt, Virginia Woods. She taught him how to read when he was four years old. From her, he learned the legends, names, and blossom recognition of the many Texas wildflowers she grew in her yard. As a little boy, Larry was teased by Aunt Virginia saying "Larry, you're such a handsome little guy with your big blue eyes and big smile." It was true. He was good looking and smart. He even began to play chess in grammar school. His Aunt Virginia always complimented him on his "wonderful intellect and math skills." As a teenager, she cheered his becoming a Champion player in bridge tournaments. All his life Larry would say that his "kinfolks" - Parents, Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles and Cousins were "just one big family" to him.

After graduating from Seguin High School, Larry began what became a long career working for two oil drilling companies. Because of his extensive knowledge, Larry was frequently called to the Gulf of Mexico to barge rigs for as long as three months at a time. He preferred drilling on land and excelled as Mud Logger (one who studies oil wells for their depth and content of soil). Using computers and microscopes, his fellow co-workers called Larry "a Geologist without a geology degree." During that time he married Cynthia Miller who loved and cared for him for 35 years.

One night there was an explosion. An instant later there was a massive fire.

Larry ran into the flames and tackled a burning crewmember pulling him away from the crashing rig. With his arms around the rough neck's body, Larry rolled over and over in the dirt to smother the man on fire.

Both men lived.

That night when Larry's friends had to take him home, they had to pull him out of the car and carry him into his house. Larry's skin and hair were singed.
His back no longer functional.

From that day forward Larry Halm was wheelchair bound and for years cared for by his wife, Cynthia.
Larry was a broken body, but an undaunted man.

When the time came that he realized that Cynthia could no longer lift him, he entered a care facility. There Larry lived his life between four walls enclosed in a time of strict rules, regulations of medical necessity.

It was a life inside - not outside.

No longer a life out in the beautiful world of nature he had always loved. As Larry described it "a medium rare ribeye steak dinner was just a memory."

Larry faced life's blows with courage and good humor. Year after year, he had to be inside the hospital rooms suffering occasional bouts of loneliness, frustration and depression. Now "the outside" could only mean a transfer from one building to another. "Just another facility inside."

In rehabilitation, he endured countless well-meaning surgeries attempting to improve his health. Larry Halm found a way to live in spite of his confinement. He built for himself a "contact life." He used his radio, cell-phone and computer to keep in touch with his cousins who had been like siblings throughout his growing up. He telephoned relatives to warn them about reports of dangerous rain storms causing highway floods, or tornadoes looming in the skies. His books were read and read until the pages were tattered. He often called his 106 year old Aunt Virginia. Their calls detailed stories of old times. Tales of Cousin's Clubs picnics at the Moss farm on the Capote Road, of Christmas Eve celebrations, or repeating his Dad's experiences as a Navy Seabee in World War ll. They talked about big and little things. Things like the names of horses they rode in Seguin's July 4th parade, or how many puppy litter's the dog, Sassy, had.
But, when Larry was asked about the oil field fire, he told no story.

His answer was to repeat his own belief about life. "Every human being is given one or two chances to do something good. They can help someone. They can make something right."
Then he would pause to make sure –you- got it right.

"If that person steps-up and does what is needed? Well, that's just great! Otherwise, if they choose to do nothing, then they are the ones who really missed it. Too, too, bad for them."

Loved, admired, remembered forever.

Farewell, dear one.

Larry Halm is survived by:

His wife Cynthia Miller Halm, his Aunt Virginia Bergfeld Woods, sibling cousins: Janice Woods Windle and Wayne Ellsworth Windle, Wayne Wilton Windle and Mary Jane Windle, William Wayne Windle, John Wilton Windle, Benjamin Emmett Windle, Virginia Windle Shapiro & Randy Shapiro, Charles Carson Shapiro, Janice Windle Shapiro, Wilton Eugene Woods, Henry E. Bergfeld & Susan, Richard A. Bergfeld and Cindy, George and Edna Bergfeld, Thomas and Kari Bergfeld, Bonnie Bergfeld Cheatam and Billy Cheatam, William A Bergfeld lll and Lyn, Charles and Debbie Bergfeld, John Upper.

The family is grateful for memorial contributions made to the Larry Wayne Halm Fund for General Charitable Purposes of the Seguin Area Community Foundation.
Address: 390 Cordova Rd, Seguin, TX 78155 Phone Number: (830) 305-8906