Larry Fisher’s interest in the railroad dates back as far as he can remember. On May 9, 1939, he was born into a railroad family. Larry’s father Donald, a Soo Line Railroad brakeman and conductor, retired after 35 years working on the railroad. During his father’s early years on the Soo Line, his job took him away from the family for long periods of time. Larry’s Dad would always send letters back home and would include a pencil drawing of a train scene for Larry and his brother Darrell. Larry’s older brother Darrell would later in life grow up to work for the Milwaukee Road out of Harlowton, Montana. In the return letter that Larry’s Mom would write back to her husband, Larry would include a crude train drawing of his own to his Dad.
The Fisher family first settled in Manfred, North Dakota and lived in an old boxcar minus the wheels of course, sitting out in a field near the railway tracks. This was not uncommon to see settlements of families living like this in the North Dakota prairies. After moving to Harvey, North Dakota and settling into their first home in town, Larry remembers a wonderful life there growing up with his brother, parents, and other members of the Fisher family relatives. For Larry there was always lots to do in and around the town, especially near the railway tracks, watching the steam engines moving around the yards switching railcars and watching the passenger trains as they came and went through town, stopping at the Harvey Railway Station at the end of main street.
There was not a shortage of things to do besides attending school, such as, swimming if the weather permitted, was always a priority, then of course lots of baseball games. As the young boys from town, would have their own “Field of Dreams” baseball field cut out of a vacant pasture just outside of town. The early years of playing baseball with Darrell, would be the last time they played together as brothers. Darrell was older than Larry by a few years and was the first to leave home and worked on building his further life working on the railroad. As Larry got older in his teens, he found himself shooting call shot, straight pool, and snooker ball after school and weekends.
Following graduation from Harvey, North Dakota High School in 1957, Larry joined the United States Air Force and found himself based in Alaska. He continued drawing in the barracks and including them with his letters back home to the family. After returning home from his stint in the Air Force, Larry tried working at different jobs, such as driving a cab in and around the Fargo, North Dakota area. He then took a job working for KTHI-TV in Fargo, North Dakota as a cameraman and set designer. While living and working in Fargo, Larry met his wife to be, Carol. In August 1969 Larry accepted a job offer at KSHO-TV in Las Vegas, Nevada. A month later he sent for Carol, they were married on November 8th. 1969 at the Little Church of the West Chapel in Las Vegas, Nevada. They started a family, Sheryl in 1972 and three years later son Jon was born. They settled in for a wonderful family life together.
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