Laurence William Huber age 87, of Jefferson died on Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at his home. Funeral services was held Saturday, March 10, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. at Perry Bible Church in Perry. Visitation was Friday, March 9, 2012 from 1:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with the family greeting friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Carris Family Funeral Home. Burial will be in the Rippey Cemetery in Rippey. Memorials may be given to Perry Bible Church, Rippey United Methodist Women, and Iowa Plowing Association and may be left at the Funeral Home.
Words of comfort were given by Pastor Charles Compton. Midge Vannatta provided the piano selections, “Dare To Be A Daniel” and “Have Thine Own Way, Lord.” Honorary casket bearers were Myron and Maralynn Rinker, Linda and Randy Holl, Joyce Roberts, Roger Conant, Mark Gannon, Bobby Heater, Robert Holz, Dan Potkonak, and Brenda Muir. Casket bearers were John Muir, Bill Heater, Richard Bardole, Jerry Groves, Ned Johnston and Rick Gannon. Ushers were Roger Norgren and Steve King.
Laurence William Huber was born August 16, 1924, to William Martin Huber and Mary Esther Sheffield on a farm just north of Lanesboro, Iowa. He died Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at his home in Jefferson, IA. Laurence attended Lanesboro Consolidated School through 8th grade and moved to Rippey where he graduated from Rippey High School May 20, 1941. Laurence made the decision to serve the Lord at age eight in a revival meeting at Lanesboro.
Laurence was united in marriage to Mary Ella Young, June 22, 1948, at the First Methodist Church in Rippey. Laurence and Mary had two children, Robert Laurence Huber and Ruth Marie (Huber) Dobbins. They also had three granddaughters, Aubrey and Kathryn Huber and Carole Dobbins.
Laurence was a hired hand for several area farmers until he, and his wife Mary, began farming northwest of Rippey in 1948. The family moved in 1959 and remained on their own farm until the fall of 2008.
Laurence has been a member of the Rippey United Methodist Church and was a member of the Perry Bible Church at the time of his death. He was a member of the Elmo Masonic Lodge #465 and the Rippey Lions Club. Laurence served a on the East Greene School Board for one term, was a soil conservation commissioner, and a member of the Farm Bureau. Laurence’s passion was plowing. He was the first president of the Iowa Plowing Association, a member of the United States of America Plowing Organization, (judging numerous competitions) and helped with the National Plowing Matches in 1966 in Jefferson, Iowa, as the plowing co-chairman. He also hosted with Mary, the 1996 National Matches on his farm. Laurence was a three time state plowing champion in 1958, 1962, and 2006. He was third in the national competition in 1962 in Ohio. He won the National Classic Competition at Boone, Iowa, in 2005 at age 82.
Several of the people he helped over the years were state and national champions.
Laurence was preceded in death by his parents, William and Mary , a brother, Maurice Huber, and a sister, Esther Bardole.
Survivors includehis wife, Mary Huber, son, Robert (Lyn Countryman) Huber, Cedar Falls, IA, daughter, Ruth (James) Dobbins, Ballwin, MO, grandchildren, Aubrey Huber (Chris McRae), Tampa, FL, Kathryn Huber, Cedar Falls, IA, and Carole Dobbins, Ballwin, MO and a sister, Marguerite Klocksiem, Alpharetta,GA.