Jesse J. Perkins, 84

Jesse J. Perkins, 84, of Hastings, died Oct. 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, Mo., where he attended Beatty School through the 8th grade.

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 Oct. 30, 1945.

Upon returning from the war, he settled in Tabor, to be near his family. He married Lois Arlene Jones on Oct. 6, 1947. They lived in Tabor and various other Iowa towns before moving to Hastings, in the late 1950’s.

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 Bachler; 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.

Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Lois Perkins; four children, Jesse “Jay” W. (Susan) Perkins, Russell (Betty) Perkins, all of Hastings, Pat (Jerry) Trainer of Lincoln, Neb., and Carol (Randy) Hanssen of Urbandale; 15 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; sisters, Delores (Byron) Farris of Moberly, Mo. and Roberta (Dan) Cochran of Bolivar, Mo.; sisters-in-law, Shirley Jones of Council Bluffs, Virginia (Jim) Johnston of Gilbert, Ariz., and Clara (Frank) Mohatt of Chandler, Ariz.

Funeral Services were Oct. 16 at Mansfield-Hertz Funeral Homes Inc. in Malvern with

Pastor Jan Phillips and Roxanne Boverhuis, Lay Minister, officiating.

Interment was in Hastings Cemetery in Hastings.

A memorial fund has been established.

Mansfield-Hertz Funeral Home of Malvern in charge of arrangements.