Larry Charles Riden of Walnut Grove and Marco Island, FL
Larry Charles Riden of Walnut Grove, and Marco Island, FL, passed away peacefully on Wednesday July 29, 2026 in Naples, FL.
Larry was born on Sept. 4, 1943 to Henry George & Pauline Matilda Chenoweth Riden. He had three brothers; John “Bud,” Jim, and Melvin Riden. He graduated from Roseville High School in 1961. Upon graduation, Larry began working for Clayton Hobbs as a hired hand. Later he began working for International Minerals and Chemical Co. (IMC) in Walnut Grove, where he would eventually start Riden Farm Supply. He managed Good Hope Fertilizer until 1973 and would start Riden Farm Supply in 1974.
Larry was a very active member of the Good Hope-Sciota Lions Club for many years, a lifetime member of the American Quarter Horse Association and American Paint Horse Association, and devoted supporter of 4-H and the National FFA Organization. He received his Honorary State FFA Degree in 2018. Larry served as the Walnut Grove Township Clerk and Supervisor. He was also a member of the Illinois Fertilizer Association and the Illinois Propane Gas Association. Later in life Larry attended Spoon River College and Western Illinois University. Larry also enjoyed playing card games with his family and friends for many years. He was one of the founding five couples of the Walnut Grove Card Club who played cards once a month for 55 years. Larry especially enjoyed playing Call Your Partner - 10-point pitch and Hand, Knee, and Foot.
Larry was a respected member of the community and adored by his friends and family, who loved nothing more than seeing him happy. Larry's greatest accomplishment was owning and operating Riden Farm Supply for over 50 years. He started the 'plant' on Jan. 1, 1974 with the help of 5 local farmers who believed in his passion and dedication to our agricultural community. When Larry first started Riden Farm Supply, he had one employee besides himself, a small office, one larger building, and an ammonia tank. Over the past 53 years, Larry employed over 100 individuals at Riden Farm Supply where they now operate several large pieces of equipment and specialize in assisting local farmers with fertilizer and pesticide application, LP gas, seed sales, as well as GPS soil sampling.
