William Gene Larkins was born on Feb. 20, 1936, to William Sr. and Claire Larkins. He grew up in Ruskin, where he 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 enjoyed 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 served in the Vietnam War conflict.
Before leaving for boot camp, he was married to Eleanor June Vortman of rural Carleton, on Feb. 18, 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, 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, including the World’s Fair at New York City in 1964. They purchased a large camper and stayed at Lovewell Lake many weekends. They were also members of Oregon Trail Camping Club which took them to different camping locations.
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 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 12 semi-trucks and 30 flatbed trailers along with nine grain trailers.
Larkins & Sons Inc. hauled grain and many loads of steel and other products for Reinke Manufacturing. During this time, Bill was also farming, taking over his father-in-law, Elmer Vortman’s farm near Carleton. 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.
Bill was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Eleanor, in 2003; and
his beloved granddaughter, Sara, in 2002; and many of his siblings.
He is survived by his children: Michael of Kearney, David of Deshler, Brian of Frisco, Texas, and Neil Larkins of Deshler; seven grandchildren, and 16 great-grandchildren.
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