Military services for Lawrence Wayne Pleasant were at the Summit Ridge Cemetery, also known as Sunset Memorial Gardens, at 10 a.m. on Nov. 9.

Lawrence Wayne Pleasant, often called L.W. or Larry, passed away peacefully in his sleep on Nov. 2, 2013. Pleasant was the former co-owner and co-publisher of the Dolores Star and the Dove Creek Press and a longtime resident of Montezuma County. He lived his life "trying to be a friend with everyone."

Larry was born in Hillsboro, Ill., on Nov. 3, 1921. He graduated from Mattoon High School in Mattoon, Ill.

After serving as a volunteer in World War II, he graduated from the University of Illinois with a bachelor's degree in journalism.

Larry is the son of the late Benjamin Pleasant and Myrtle (Brooks) Pleasant.

They were both professional photographers in their own rights. They had eight children, of whom now only one survives. During his youth, Larry and his family worked to survive the Great Depression by traveling across the United States, starting from Illinois.

They went from town to town, selling photographic portraits for pennies a piece, and made their way as far west as Phoenix. Working in teams and developing photos in tents on the outskirts of cities, they left a heritage one picture at a time.

During World War II, Larry joined the Navy and served throughout the war. He primarily served as a communication specialist in the Pacific theater but was in training to become a pilot as the war ended.

In 1955, he married Marilyn Lawrence, and they raised three sons - Daniel Lee Pleasant, Timothy Wayne Pleasant and Andrew Franklin Pleasant. In 1960, Marilyn and Larry moved their family to Dolores and purchased and published the Dolores Star and later also purchased and published The Dove Creek Press. They later divorced.

Larry was one of the first members of his family to earn a bachelor's degree. He always held education as a valued goal, serving as a member of the Dolores Board of Education at one point and often commenting on the state of education in a weekly column in the Dolores Star titled, "Plez Sez." Excerpts from "Plez Sez" still appear regularly in the column, "Dolores 40 Years Ago" in the Star. Larry and Marilyn's three sons all attended and graduated from schools in Dolores or Cortez, have earned three bachelor's degrees, three master's, one Ph.D., and two law degrees from such universities as Stanford University, Vanderbilt University, Stetson University College of Law, The University of Tulsa College of Law, Brown University, and Cornell University.

Larry also was occupied with his love for the history and politics of the Southwest. Growing up in areas of the country where people hunted frog legs for both amusement and food, he found in the desert Southwest - and later the Idaho and Montana region - special places where he could explore how people had interacted with the spaces over the years. Larry held the natural and social history of the Four Corners near to his heart.

On any given day, he could be found writing an article or editorial for the newspapers, hunting for arrowheads or pottery shards as an excuse to go for a long walk, fixing a now out-dated yet original hot-type newspaper printing press that he needed to repair, having coffee with Four Corners leaders, taking pictures on the sidelines of high school sporting events, climbing Mount Sneffels, exploring the Grand Canyon, or traveling the world.

Larry and his longtime companion Mary (Porter) Dufur - an exceptional artist, librarian, longtime resident of Dolores and continual advocate for the betterment of the community - later lived in Libby, Mont., and Bonners Ferry, Idaho, enjoying the climate and small-town nature of those communities. Mary survives Larry, along with his sister, Emma Jean; his three sons; two grandchildren, Robbie and Haley Rose; and numerous nieces and nephews.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations in Larry's memory can be made to the Dolores Public Library, a local food bank, or to Canyon Ranch Institute, a 501c3 nonprofit charity working in communities to eliminate inequities in health across the U.S.

Honoring Larry's legacy could include educating yourself about the area, becoming active in your community and "paying forward" - supporting, visiting and learning from the Dolores Public Library and supporting the education of youth in the community. All would be welcome. For information or to send condolences, log on to www.ertelfuneralhome.com and click on the obituary section.