Jesse Junior Perkins | ||
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| Jesse Junior Perkins, age 84, died at his home in Hastings, IA on Monday, October 12, 2009.
Jesse Junior Perkins was one of six children of Jesse Ray Perkins and Josephine (Kerby) Perkins. He was born on May 10, 1925 at Mendota, Missouri, where he attended Beatty School through the 8th grade. Junior moved away from his home in Missouri at age 15 to work on a farm near Grinnell, Iowa to help support his mother and the rest of his family. On May 8, 1944, he entered the United States Army serving during World War II. He was wounded in Italy on April 16, 1945 and received a Purple Heart Victory ribbon with an honorable discharge on October 30, 1945. Upon returning from the war, he settled in Tabor, Iowa to be near his family. There he met and married Lois Arlene Jones on October 6, 1947. They lived in Tabor and various other Iowa towns before moving to Hastings, Iowa in the late 1950’s. Junior was employed as a dozer operator, owner/operator of a plumbing and well service where he dug wells both by hand and by machine. He retired as owner/operator of Perkins Service, an auto repair and gas station in Hastings. Junior and his wife also purchased several properties and homes to restore in the Hastings area. Fishing, whittling, camping, traveling and hunting wild mushrooms and berries were just a few of the many hobbies that Junior enjoyed. He strongly believed peroxide, vinegar, garlic, and ash tree root juice (kick-a-poo juice as he called it) would cure anything. Junior was a member of the Emerson American Legion Post 575 for 64 years. He was a member of the Hastings Volunteer Fire Department for 30 plus years. Junior was baptized and was a member of the Hastings United Methodist Church. He was preceded in death by his parents; brother, George Perkins; sisters, Ruth Donovan and Loeita Bachelor; brothers-in-law, Wayne Jones, Max Jones, Harry Jones, Elmer Donovan, and Max Bachler; sisters-in-law, Gayle Perkins and Carol Jones; father-in-law, Orville Jones and mother-in-law, Anna Jones Tillberg; and daughter-in-law, Susan Kay Perkins. Junior passed away on October 12, 2009 while at his home following a brief illness. He attained the age of 84 years, 5 months, and 2 days. Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Lois Perkins; four children, Jesse “Jay” W. Perkins and his wife Susan, Russell Perkins and his wife Betty, all of Hastings, Pat Trainer and her husband Jerry of Lincoln, NE, and Carol Hanssen and her husband Randy of Urbandale, IA; fifteen grandchildren; seventeen great grandchildren; sisters, Delores Farris and husband Byron of Moberly, MO and Roberta Cochran and husband Dan of Bolivar, MO; sisters-in-law, Shirley Jones of Council Bluffs, IA, Virginia Johnston and husband Jim of Gilbert, AZ, and Clara Mohatt and husband Frank of Chandler, AZ; nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends. | ||