Lawrence "Bud" Walton Livermont, 84, of Salinas, passed away Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007, at Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital after a long illness. He had been a Salinas resident for 41 years.
Buddy was born Feb. 22, 1923, in Martin, Bennett County S.D. He was the son of Joseph Edwin (Ed) and Martha (Rooks) Livermont and grew up in Bennett County on the Livermont ranch in the sandhills southeast of Vetal.
At the age of 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy to defend his country during World War II. He, his brother Hank, and their cousin Charles Livermont joined the navy at the same time. He served aboard the U.S.S. Ormsby
Returning home to South Dakota to the family cattle ranch, he met and married the love of his life, Evalyn Hill, in 1946. He worked in heavy equipment construction in South Dakota and owned a grocery store in Wanblee for a short time. Before moving his family to California, he and Evalyn sold the store to his brother James A. Livermont. He loved to return to Wanblee to visit with his brothers, Joe and Lester and their families, and help them with ranch work.
He retired after 23 years working for the Monterey County Road Department as an assistant civil engineer. He was a member of the American Legion of Martin, S.D. Upon his retirement, he pursued his interest in cactus and succulents, traveling throughout the state of California, collecting plants and giving presentations at various societies. He was a charter member of the Monterey Bay Area Cactus and Succulent Society. Because he was such a great man, he was well loved by all who knew him. In his later years, he still greatly enjoyed weekly trips around the county, watching the various construction and development sites.
He was preceded in death by his parents Ed and Martha Livermont, his brothers Hank, Joseph, Lester, Francis, and James A. Livermont, and two sisters Genevieve (Babe) Jones, and Isabelle Babby.
He is survived by his wife, Evalyn Livermont of the family home; sons, Lawrence A. Livermont of Morgan Hill and James Hill of Salinas; daughters, Charlene (Louis) Goldman of Lemoore, Edwyne Livermont of Salinas, Geradette Livermont of Tennessee; sister, Eileen Hampton of Wenatchee, Wash.; brother, John (Phyllis) Livermont of Wenatchee; grandchildren, Leland, Keith, Donald and Bryan Goldman, Shaun Martinez. great-grandchildren, Justin, Heather and Abigail; and numerous nieces and nephews