William Gene Larkins

William Gene Larkins was born on February 20, 1936, to William Sr. and Claire Larkins.  He grew up in Ruskin, Nebraska where he proudly worked for farmers at a young age helping with chores and doing field work to earn spending money that he used to buy candy, and later to purchase his first car. He graduated from Ruskin High School where he loved playing football.

Right after graduation, he signed up for the United States draft, and was soon enlisted to serve in the U. S Army during the Korean War as a helicopter pilot.    He later was again drafted in the Vietnam War conflict.

Before leaving for Boot Camp, he was married to Eleanor June Vortman of rural Carleton, Nebraska on February 18th, 1957.  After Boot Camp, Eleanor joined Bill and they began their married life living on military bases.

Bill and Eleanor were blessed with four sons, born in four years.  The first two were born in military hospitals; Michael Gene at Fort Rucker in Alabama, and David Scott born at Fort Sill in Oklahoma.  After returning home from the military, they made their home in Deshler, Nebraska where they added two more boys to the family: Brian Jay and Neil Alan.

Bill and Eleanor took their family on many vacations when the boys were young, even going to the World's Fair at New York City in 1964.  They also purchased a large camper and spent many weekends at Lovewell Lake.  They were also members of Oregon Trail Camping Club which took them to many different camping locations, where they spent hours and hours with family and friends.

During his lifetime, Bill had various jobs and occupations.  When he returned home from the Service, he took a job working for Richard Reinke as a welder and a truck driver.  Thus began his lifelong passion of truckin'.  Bill was a real road warrior, driving from coast to coast.  He drove truck for various trucking firms until in 1980 he purchased his first truck, a 1979 red and white Peterbilt, and started his own trucking business - Larkins & Sons Inc.  At one time Bill had twelve semi-trucks and thirty flatbed trailers along with nine grain trailers.  Larkins & Sons Inc. did grain hauling and many, many loads of steel and other products for Reinke Manufacturing Inc. of Deshler.  During this time, Bill was also farming, taking over his father-in-law, Elmer Vortman's farm near Carleton, Nebraska.  All four boys helped with the business.  Mike did maintenance work on the trucks, Dave helped with the farming, Brian with the bookkeeping, and Neil was a truck driver and helped on the farm.

Bill had a shop building for the trucking business along the highway just north of Deshler.  He later purchased a vacant store on Deshler's main street that his grandchildren named the "halfway house" because it was halfway between the Shop and grandpa and grandma's house.  Grandpa loved having the grandkids stop in to say Hi! at the "halfway house".  It was also a place large enough to get everyone together for birthdays and holidays and sleepovers.  It was complete with toys, pool table, pin ball machines, slot machines, jukebox, karaoke machine and a fully stocked kitchen with candy, food and pop.

Bill had an absolute love of country music.  He spent endless hours behind the wheel of a semi-truck listening to and singing along with his county music favorites.  Each of the grandkids can remember endless renditions of Grandpa Bill singing "Blueberry Hill" by Fats Domino along with the Karaoke machine!   His entire family was forced to listen to Willie's Roadhouse on his XM radio and hearing Bill's favorites like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Dave Dudley, Willie Nelson and Conway Twitty, along with "stories" of meeting Freddy Fender and other famous country music artists.  Bill & Eleanor went to many country music concerts, country music shows in the Ozarks, and made trips to Nashville and to the Grand Ole Opry.

Bill was preceded in death by his parents, his wife Eleanor in 2003, and his beloved granddaughter Sara in 2002.  He is also preceded by many of his siblings, brothers and sisters-in law, and an endless number of friends.

He is survived by his children: Michael and wife Brenda of Kearney, NE, David and wife Jan of Deshler, NE, Brian and wife Nida of Frisco, TX, and Neil Larkins of Deshler, NE.

Left to miss him are his grandchildren: Corey, Derick, Kim, Lyndsey, Megan, Traci & Brady, and his beloved and adored great-grandchildren: Payten, Sison, Bentley, Daniel, Asher, Cora, Brantley, Avery, Levon, Kason, Brennen, Arlo, Leighton, Ryleigh, Eisley, Jaxon and Haisley.

10 - 4...KEEP ON TRUCKIN'!