Lawrence Bushway, age 85 of Shakopee, formerly of Robbinsdale, passed away on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 at the Belle Plaine Lutheran Home. A memorial service will be held on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 at 11:00AM with a time of gathering for friends and family from 10:00-11:00AM all at Ballard-Sunder Funeral Home, 833 Marschall Road, Shakopee. Inurnment to follow at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. Reverend Tony Sconza will preside.
On November 19, 1930 Edward and Lorraine (Kurtz) Bushway celebrated the birth of their second set of twins. The first twin to come along was their son, Lawrence Willard Bushway. Along with his older brothers and younger twin sister, Lawrence was raised in Robbinsdale when it was still a rural suburb of the Twin Cities. In his childhood, Lawrence spent much of his time outdoors, whether it was playing with his siblings, fishing, or pestering the family’s pet goat. He enjoyed golfing, pheasant hunting, and pan fishing. Lawrence could never tolerate being on shore, when a boat was so much better.
Following his graduation from Robbinsdale High School, Lawrence, like his older brothers, decided to enlist in the United States Army. During his service, Lawrence remained stateside and worked as an office clerk. In the years that followed, Lawrence began working at Midwest Motors unloading the pallets that were being shipped. It was here that Lawrence fostered many great relationships with his coworkers. Even at work, Lawrence was a practical jokester. After a coworker bragged about his new Volkswagon’s incredible gas milage, Lawrence saw an opportunity for a long term prank. Every day Lawrence would fill the Volkswagon’s tank to give the illusion it was getting even better mileage than before. After a few weeks, he then began to siphon the gas, causing his coworker to worry about the car’s quickly decreasing mileage. After 35 years of employment and good times with Midwest Motors, Lawrence retired.
Upon his retirement, Lawrence became involved with his neighborhood. With free time on his hands, he started helping the neighbors with chores—mowing their lawns or blowing the snow before they returned home from work. Lawrence not only cared for his friends and neighbors, but he especially loved for his family. When his mother began to age, he dedicated himself to caring for her rather than letting her move into a nursing home. Although Lawrence never had children of his own, his nieces and nephew grew up next door and meant the world to him. With their encouragement, Lawrence moved to Shakopee to be closer to them.
Lawrence was a big-hearted, humorous man who will be greatly missed by all those who knew him. He is survived by his brothers, Warren “Bud” Bushway, LeRoy “Bush” Bushway; his numerous nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends. There to greet Lawrence in heaven are his parents, Lorraine and Ed; twin sister, Lorraine (Raymond) Burns; brothers, Harry (Jeannie) Bushway, Howard (Betty) Bushway; sisters-in-law, Bev Bushway and Donna Bushway.
Funeral arrangements by Ballard-Sunder Funeral and Cremation, Shakopee.
