| | |  Vallarta Living | April 2009 
Larry and Linda Palmquist: Friends to Everyone
 Twila Crawford - PVNN
| | Larry and Linda have seven adult children. They have three natural children, three brothers they adopted from the Philippines, and an adopted daughter. | |
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - "Larry feels the need to befriend people more than he does to make money in business," says Larry Palmquist's friend and mentor, Don Powell, of Puerto Vallarta. "Larry serves and gives of himself more than anyone I have ever known. I see him as a very special person, as do many others."
Larry Palmquist, in turn, says, "Some of the best friendships Linda and I have are in Puerto Vallarta. They are special ... and adventuresome."
Larry and Linda have been successful in business, after a lifetime of hard work - living in Kansas, Colorado and Mexico.
Now, Larry courageously is dealing with COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease,) with Linda at his side. It was diagnosed in 2001. Larry points out, "This is a blanket term for all of the bad things you've done to your lungs." Larry had asthma as a child, had bronchitis, and was a smoker until 15 years ago. He had a heart attack in 1988.
Linda advised that they had to stop smoking so they could enjoy Mexico. They smoked their final three cigarettes - sharing the last one - at the St. Louis, MO, airport. Then they flew to Puerto Vallarta ... and never smoked again.
Larry uses an oximeter that provides oxygen readings, along with taking many medications. He is under hospice care now (today it can be long term) in his Overland Park, KS (suburb of Kansas City) home. Larry looks as he always has except for the oxygen tubes ... and easily tiring. That famous booming voice hasn't disappeared ... nor has his faith-filled positive outlook and his ever-present sense of humor.
What a wonderful in-depth life Larry and Linda shared ... sometimes with hardships, of course. They will be married 50 years in August. Don Powell says, "The one concept that has done them well is honesty and fairness. With each, you must recognize that when they say something, they mean it ... and are not laying out a point to be negotiated."
Larry and Linda are generous concerning their children. They have seven adult children - three boys and four girls. They have three natural children, and they adopted three brothers from the Philippines, and also adopted a daughter. Many grandchildren brighten and enliven Larry's and Linda's lives.
The Palmquist's Overland Park, KS, home is beautiful with greenery surrounding the view from their living room. Their home is filled with Mexican and Kansas art along with many family photos. The home has several antique player pianos that Larry collected. Linda continues as a businesswoman, "keeping things running," including a mall the Palmquists own in the university town of Lawrence, KS. Their Estes Park, Co, home is for sale. Their third home in Bucerias, Mexico, looks like a castle and is stunning with beautiful Mexican tiles and artistically decorated windows.
How did the Palmquists end up financially successful with three beautiful homes?
"Larry and Linda are unique people," Don Powell says. "They are successful in business because of hard work with many hours, and starting only with their personalities and their smarts. They both have absolute trust in the other, in family as well as in business matters."
Going back to Concordia, KS, Larry was born about 68 years ago. In high school, he played a saxophone and drove at age 14 a '51 dark green Mercury. Linda also drove at age 14 in their farming community where they drove tractors on their families' farms. Larry's mom helped to convince the two to date ... and so they still are a couple.
Larry was a "surprise" to his parents, Francis and Nellie, who were 54 and 45, respectively. His brother, Lowell, was 22 years older. He grew up fishing, and in Mexico, if anyone called him, Larry dropped everything to go deep-sea fishing.
Larry sold his '51 Mercury and bought an engagement ring for Linda. Larry always said that Linda "had a '51 Mercury on her finger." They set their wedding date for August 16, 1959, a few months after their high school graduation. Linda's father wanted to change the wedding date because he hoped to win a clay pigeon-shooting tournament. Linda informed her father that "she was not going to change her wedding date for mere clay pigeons and that her Uncle David Noel would darn well give her away if the clay pigeon-shooting was more important than the wedding of his only child." Her father decided to forgo the championship.
They honeymooned in Colorado, and on another vacation there, Larry was hired to sell auto parts for Colorado Auto Service. At age 23, he became vice-president and general manager of parts and equipment. Three daughters - Lisa Lee, Lynette Lee and Lana Lee - were born. They lived in Littleton, CO.
In 1981, Larry and Linda purchased Stanley Equipment in Kansas, near Kansas City. A career change for Larry at age 40. Larry was determined to succeed and "became a workaholic" by his own admission. He had a heart attack in 1988. Linda says, "The heart attack changed his outlook on life. He started to think about what is important in life. He put more importance on his family and his faith increased. Lana and John visited him in intensive care and told him he had something to live for - he was going to be a grandpa."
The Palmquists sold Stanley Equipment in 1999 and spent their first full winter in Mexico, after previous visits. Back in 1989, they won their first trip to Mexico for five days at the Krystal Hotel.
Larry was very involved with the Community Church in Puerto Vallarta. He says Don Powell was his mentor and teacher, and he "loved the guys in the men's Bible study group."
Concerning who influenced him in life, Larry's humor comes through, "Except for Don Powell, everyone is dead and gone." Both Larry and Linda were influenced in a positive way by relatives. Additionally, they say, "We love our church family in Puerto Vallarta." The Palmquists always helped to distribute rice and beans to families in the city dump area. As visitors arrived in Puerto Vallarta, they picked up many persons at the airport to take them to their hotels.
Linda says of Larry, "I love to watch him with his friends, how relaxed he makes them feel and how comfortable he is around them. He is capable of being as wild and crazy as anyone, but when he needs to be strong, he is strong. He has confidence, stability and maturity, and it's why everyone looks up to him so much. He always finds happiness in every day."
"We all know the sound of Larry's voice," Linda points out. "I hear that voice coming a mile away and think, that man with that booming voice is mine. He always tells people when he introduces me, 'This is my bride.'" These two individuals, after 50 years of a happy and loving marriage, are full of faith ... and, despite age's toll, are perpetually young and joyful together. |
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