Lawrence Alfred Zellers

Lawrence "Larry" Alfred Zellers, 84, a retired Methodist minister and loving husband, father, grandfather, and brother, passed away peacefully after a long, courageous and victorious battle with several life threatening diseases on Sunday evening August 19, 2007. Larry was born to the late Clyde E. and Lura Lindsay Zellers on November 30, 1922 in Weatherford, Texas. His family's home was located in what is now Lake Weatherford. He attended Weatherford public schools and graduated from Weatherford College.World War II was in progress when Larry volunteered for the Army Air Corps. He trained in Utah and was sent to England. He was a radio technician, making many flights over Europe. After WWII, Larry brought planes back to the U.S. to be used in the Pacific theatre. He received a call to be a minister and studied at Southern Methodist University. He joined the Fellowship of Christian Reconstruction after WWII and was joined with sixty other young Christian students to teach Japanese and Korean students.While ministering in Korea, Larry married Frances Rogers, also a missionary to Korea. Their union lasted fifty-seven years. On the first day of the Korean War, Larry was captured and spent three years as a prisoner of war in North Korea. Larry, along with best friend, Father Philip Crosby, were the youngest in the group and took upon themselves the greater part of the work load that preserved the lives of the eldest, the women and children. At the insistence of the United Nations, Larry wrote one of the most authentic accounts of the Korean War. One of his greatest contributions to the families of those who never returned home was to relate the location and circumstances under which their loved ones died. Larry was an Air Force Chaplain for 18 years where he did family counseling and survival training along with his ministerial duties. Larry is survived by his wife of 57 years, Frances Rogers Zellers of Weatherford; daughters, Jessica Harrison and husband, Rob of Lexington, KY, Brenda Blizzard and husband, Dave of Collierville, TN; brother, Clyde Zellers of Austin; grandchildren, Natalie, Alan, Allegra, Arianna; niece, Sandra Zellers Billings. Memorial services will be held 11 a.m. Thursday, August 23, 2007 at Couts Memorial United Methodist Church in Weatherford. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Couts Building Fund or a charity of your choice.