Larry A. Rector

Larry A. Rector

1949 – 2025

IDA GROVE - Larry A. Rector, 75, of Ida Grove, passed away on Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2025 at the Good Samaritan Society of Holstein. A Celebration of Life will be held on Saturday, Feb. 15 from 2-4 p.m. at the Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home of Holstein. A luncheon will follow at the Lohff-Schumann Community Center from 4-6 p.m. Burial will be at a later date. The Nicklas D. Jensen Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Larry Alan Rector was the first born son to Leo L Rector and Ida L (Andresen) Rector on Saturday, Aug. 27, 1949 in Cherokee, Iowa. He graduated from Holstein High School in 1967. After high school, Larry enrolled in the Associated Heavy Equipment School in Texas where he graduated from the Tractor-Trailer course with his certificate of completion on Dec. 15, 1967. This began his 50 plus years of truck driving, which included Irving Jensen Construction, Mauer Construction. He worked several years for Mau trucking, Terry Jorgensen Trucking and G Goodenow Ltd. where he hauled Gomaco paving equipment all over the U.S. taking his beloved Shelties with him. When he left the long distance hauling, he worked for Lou Rathjen and DL & Sons trucking companies to haul grain for local farmers. Due to health reasons, he retired in 2021.

On Dec. 11, 1971, he was married to Patricia Skou at the First United Methodist Church in Galva. They parted ways only to reconnect when he moved back to Ida Grove from Harlan, Iowa, and they were remarried on April 14, 2014 (his choice of the date so he would not forget an anniversary - 04/14/2014) in the Little Brown Church in the Vale in Nashua, Iowa. Larry loved doing most of the lawn mowing part of yard work, leaving the weeding and trimming to Pat. He also enjoyed taking Sunday afternoon drives through various car/pickup lots to “window shop” for the next vehicle to see if he could talk her into letting him trade. He and Pat loved to check out flea markets and go to auctions to look for antiques (Red Wing crocks being his favorite to collect). He enjoyed attending tractor pulls, and with the expert help of John Georg, they restored his 1951 Farmall M tractor and he was able to go on a few tractor rides before his health no longer permitted him to participate. He loved watching western shows and movies on INSP, especially Gunsmoke and Wagon Train and listening to all types of music, mostly country.

Surviving Larry are his wife, Pat of Ida Grove; his brother, Gay and wife Beth of Marcus; nephew Daniel of Marcus; great niece Autumn and great nephew Leo of Battle Creek, and their mom Jorrie.

Preceding Larry in death are his parents, Leo and Ida Rector; his brother Curtis; parents-in-law, Eldon and Mabel Skou and many cousins.

Online condolences can be made at nicklasdjensenfh.com