Lawrence Junior Strickland, 89

Funeral services for Lawrence Junior Strickland, 89, of Gainesville, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 27, 2018, at Clinkingbeard Funeral Home in Gainesville. Visitation will be from 1 p.m. to service time Saturday at the funeral home. Mr. Strickland died Oct. 21 at Baxter Regional Funeral Home in Mountain Home, Arkansas.
He was born Sept. 20, 1929, in West Virginia, the son of Charles and Delphia Strickland. At age 19, he was saved at a revival in Leatherwood, West Virginia, and was baptized in the cold waters of the Elk River. About a year later, he married Dorothy (Dot), the love of his life, and the couple moved to Hebron, Indiana, where they raised their two sons, Alan and Myron.
Known to friends and family as "J.R.," Mr. Lawrence worked in the steel mills in Gary, Indiana, and then for Huber Petroleum in Hebron, Indiana, delivering fuel oil and gasoline to farms and gas stations. He was a Ham radio operator (K9WJW: wild John Whiskey), and that interest in electronics led to his starting Strickland's TV in the family basement in the 1960s, repairing all manner of electronics and installing towers and antennas and school cable systems. In the early 1970s, Mr. Strickland opened a storefront in a strip mall in DeMotte, Indiana, selling Zenith and Sony products.
In 1979 the Stricklands sold the electronics business and moved to Gainesville so he could fish as much as he wanted. He made good use of that time, becoming something of a local expert and contributing a fishing column to the local paper for some years.
Mr. Lawrence also loved bluegrass music, playing guitar and jig dancing as often as he had the opportunity at the local bluegrass circles and festivals.
He is survived by his loving wife, Dot; two sons: Alan Strickland and wife Diana and Myron Strickland and wife Sharon; six grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren: Melissa (Miguel) and their three sons, Jennifer (Rodrigo) and their daughter, Michele (Kris) and their three daughters and son, Michael (April) and their two daughters and son, Richard (Erin) and their son, and Rebecca (Chris) and their son.
He was preceded in death by his parents; four sisters: Garnet, Virginia, Bess, and Norma; and three brothers: Clarence, Bobby and Hurschel.
Memorial contributions may be made to the J.R. Strickland Music Scholarship Fund at Gainesville Schools and left at the funeral home. 
Arrangements by Clinkingbeard Funeral Home, Gainesville.