After severe injuries in the coal mines, he supported his family by hauling coal in his own Reo dump truck.
He and his family followed friends to the promised land of Central Florida for the warm winter but decided to stay for a lifetime. Lonnie worked in the citrus industry starting by picking oranges and eventually retiring from Minute Maid, a division of the Coca-Cola Company, as a department supervisor. He later owned and operated a neighborhood hardware store in Winter Haven, before retiring and moving to Saint Cloud in 1996. Lonnie attended Journey Church before moving to Solaris Healthcare Center in 2017.
Lonnie was preceded in death by Ethel (Crane), his wife of 65 years and a precious granddaughter, Tina Richmond in 2017. He is survived by five children; Carol (Jim) King, Larry (Brenda) Richmond, Linda Evans, Rocky (Kim) Richmond and Marilyn (Billy) Gainey; 4 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends and family at Grissom Funeral Home in Kissimmee on January 10, 2019 from 12:00pm to 1:00pm to be immediately followed by a funeral service at 1:00pm. He will be laid to rest next to his wife at Glen Abbey Cemetery in Winter Haven.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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