Home > United States of America > Iowa > Clay County > Spencer > Riverside Cemetery > Lawrence Cleo “Larry” Firkins

Lawrence Cleo “Larry” Firkins

Birth	:	3 Nov 1915 Rolfe, Pocahontas County, Iowa, USA
Death	:	1 Oct 2006 Spencer, Clay County, Iowa, USA
Burial	:	Riverside Cemetery, Spencer, Clay County, USA
Coordinate	:	43.1441994, -95.1671982
Description	:	Lawrence "Larry" Cleo Firkins Larry Firkins had a very full day. His life dawned on Nov. 3, 1915, on a farm near Rolfe, Iowa. Born Lawrence Cleo Firkins to father Artie and mother Anna, Larry was the fourth of five children. Like other boys raised in the lean and rugged world of early 20th Century family farming, Larry learned quickly the meaning of honest work -- plowing with a two-horse team, shocking oats, pitching hay with a five-tined fork. The values of hard work and personal discipline gained in boyhood would serve him well the rest of his life. Even... Read More	Lawrence "Larry" Cleo Firkins Larry Firkins had a very full day. His life dawned on Nov. 3, 1915, on a farm near Rolfe, Iowa. Born Lawrence Cleo Firkins to father Artie and mother Anna, Larry was the fourth of five children. Like other boys raised in the lean and rugged world of early 20th Century family farming, Larry learned quickly the meaning of honest work -- plowing with a two-horse team, shocking oats, pitching hay with a five-tined fork. The values of hard work and personal discipline gained in boyhood would serve him well the rest of his life. Even the little free time he had to be a boy was spent working the fields with his dog Ring to put pheasants and rabbits on the family table. The love for hunting he found as a boy endured all his days. Being in the hunt would come to symbolize his attitude toward life. Life for Larry was not a spectator sport, but an arena for doing until a heart beats no more. In 1927 the Firkins family moved from Rodman, where Larry attended elementary school, to a farm near Plover, where he attended middle and high school. He expressed an early interest in music by studying the violin and singing tenor in the choir. But his real loves were basketball and baseball. His prowess as a 6' 2" center, in an era when every basket was followed by a center-court jump, earned him the title of All State Center in 1933, and then a scholarship to the University of Iowa. His picture still hangs with his teammates in the halls of the athletic department there. Larrys decision to leave college for a job in Emmetsburg would bring him together with Lois Helen Slater, at the time a drama major at Emmetsburg Community College, and soon to be the love of his life. On Sept. 1, 1941, Larry and Lois were married in Scotland, South Dakota, but were immediately faced with an untimely separation caused by World War II. After basic training, Larry shipped out to Iceland and England in 1942, where he served in the Army Signal Corps until wars end in 1945. To his wifes chagrin, the hours spent tapping morse code in the Service became a habit that died hard at the dinner table. Larry began his career as a livestock broker with Pullen Livestock. Eventually he bought the business and worked as an independent buyer for 18 years. During that time he entered into a silent partnership with Spencer Truck Line and finally bought that business as well. Larry was respected throughout his territory as a fair and honest businessman. But little did his clients know that his business was simply an extension of a deeper passion for people. He cherished relationships. Until the day he died, he loved driving the gravel roads of his territory and sharing with his family fond remembrances of his customers. Larry was a modest man, but he had much to be proud of. He was civically active his entire adulthood. He served as a Spencer City Councilman for two terms, 1968-1970 and 1972-1974, and also served on the Board of Directors of the Spencer Golf and Country Club from 1983 to 1990. Larrys participation in the Fraternal Order of Free Masons began in 1954 and spanned his entire adult life. He was a brother of Evening Shade Lodge #312 of Spencer, and was Master of the Lodge in 1963. Larry was honored as a 50-year member of the Masons as of March 1, 2004, and was a 50-year active member of the York Rite of Spencer. But the real measures of Larrys character were his dedication to and sacrifices for his family. After Lois was disabled by a stroke in 1974, he provided diligent, nonstop care to her for over thirty years, until she finally succumbed to leukemia in 2005. His patience, steadfastness and ingenuity during this time were nothing short of heroic. Larry spent Saturday, Sept. 30, 2006, with his family -- son Terry and daughter-in-law Wendy. There was work to be done before winter, trimming the hedge, pruning trees and bushes, waterproofing the chimney. They had a late afternoon picnic on a hill overlooking Lost Island Lake, drove through the countryside to survey the first day of goose season and the dust clouds engulfing combines harvesting beans that glowed Venetian red in the sunset. It was a vivid, perfectly still evening. That night, Larry went to bed and in the early morning hours passed away peacefully. He had a very full day. Larry is preceded in death by his wife Lois, brothers Emil and Maynard, and sister Leona. He is survived by his son Terry, daughter Wendy, sister Marvel, companion Hermina, and the spirits of many other friends and family, living and departed. Warner Funeral Home of Spencer, IA SERVICES Funeral Services will be held 10:30 A.M., Thursday, October 5, 2006 at the First Congregational Church in Spencer OFFICIATING Rev. Tom Van Tassell CASKET BEARERS Oliver Vogt - Donald Veitch, Bruce Kardell - Paul Shearer, Mark Pullen - Rick Peterson, Paul Maurer INTERMENT Riverside Cemetery Spencer, Iowa Military Services will be conducted by Glen Pedersen Post #1 - American Legion of Spencer, Iowa following the graveside services.

frequently asked questions (FAQ):

Where is Lawrence Cleo “Larry” Firkins's memorial?
Lawrence Cleo “Larry” Firkins's memorial is located at: Riverside Cemetery, Spencer, Clay County, USA.
When did Lawrence Cleo “Larry” Firkins death?
Lawrence Cleo “Larry” Firkins death on 1 Oct 2006 in Spencer, Clay County, Iowa, USA
Where are the coordinates of the Lawrence Cleo “Larry” Firkins's memorial?
Latitude: 43.1441994
Longitude: -95.1671982

Family Members:

Parent

Spouse

Lois Helen Slater Firkins

(1915 - 2005)

Siblings

Emil Leonard Firkins

(1903 - 1975)

Maynard Henry “Red” Firkins

(1905 - 1983)

Marvel Isabel Firkins Van Alstine

(1921 - 2012)

Flowers:

Nearby Cemetories:

1. Riverside Cemetery
Spencer, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1441994, -95.1671982

2. Dewey Readmore Books Memorial
Spencer, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1403999, -95.1443024

3. North Lawn Cemetery
Spencer, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1600000, -95.1470000

4. Evergreen Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2052994, -95.2086029

5. Fairview Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1899986, -95.0800018

6. Swedish Lutheran Cemetery
Royal, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0683000, -95.2350000

7. Dickens Cemetery
Dickens, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1280000, -95.0155000

8. Rosehill Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0368996, -95.0919037

9. Lone Tree Cemetery
Everly, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1411018, -95.3347015

10. Little Sioux Lutheran Cemetery
Milford, Dickinson County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2702065, -95.2109528

11. First Reformed Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.2399500, -95.2889000

12. Lincoln Cemetery
Rossie, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0111008, -95.2313995

13. Willow Creek Cemetery
Royal, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0214005, -95.2885971

14. Liberty Cemetery
Greenville, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9897003, -95.1417007

15. Clay Center Cemetery
Royal, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0410995, -95.3272018

16. Milford Cemetery
Milford, Dickinson County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3092003, -95.1481018

17. TriMello Cemetery
Royal, Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0682983, -95.3728027

18. Logan Township Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 43.0489006, -94.9747009

19. Zion Methodist Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9808006, -95.2497025

20. Calvary Cemetery
Milford, Dickinson County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3213997, -95.1688995

21. Fanny Fern Cemetery
Clay County, USA
Coordinate: 42.9530983, -95.1607971

22. Crown Hill Cemetery
Ruthven, Palo Alto County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1328011, -94.8878021

23. Calvary Cemetery
Ruthven, Palo Alto County, USA
Coordinate: 43.1314011, -94.8869019

24. Westport Cemetery
Dickinson County, USA
Coordinate: 43.3130989, -95.3289032