Larry L. Struss

Former Hastings resident Larry L. Struss, 80, passed away Monday December 22, 2025, at Good Samaritan Hospital, Kearney, Nebraska.

 

Services will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, December 27, at Zion Lutheran Church in Hastings with Rev. Ben Siebert officiating. Burial will be at Concordia Cemetery-Christ Lutheran Churchyard, Rural Juniata. Visitation will be 5 p.m. – 7 p.m., December 26, at the funeral home, and one hour before the service at the church. Memorials may be given to the church. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to Larry’s obituary and click the play button shown toward the bottom of the page. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.lbvfh.com. Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home & Cremation Center is serving the family.

Larry was born May 25, 1945, to Erich & Helena “Potratz” Struss in Hastings, Nebraska. He graduated from Kenesaw High School in 1964. On October 8, 1967, he married his wife Margaret “Kay” Wise. To this union, he was blessed with his two daughters, Sandra and Brenda.

Larry was a car salesman for Kerr Chevrolet for 37 years before he retired in 2009. His career in sales was his passion and his coworkers truly became a second family to him. He enjoyed mentoring the younger sales staff and what began as professional relationships, grew into genuine friendships with his coworkers and his customers.

Larry was raised in a Christian home and valued his parochial school education. He attended Christ Lutheran school and Church in Prosser and became a member of Zion Lutheran Church in Hasting, after he and Kay were married. He enjoyed participating in the church choir, and learned to sing solos. Larry had a strong singing voice and it wasn’t uncommon for him to walk around singing hymns as he went about his day.

Larry enjoyed the outdoors by camping, fishing and hunting with his friends and family. He also enjoyed spending time on the farm helping out. Many stories can be told about him and Ronnie Kalvoda working pigs or helping with harvest. Larry was an avid hunter and he and his lifelong friend, Jerry Hemberger, shared many hunting adventures. When health issues no longer allowed them to go hunting together, they shared many laughs reminiscing about the fun times they had while out hunting.

Larry and Kay were also known for their crazy New Year’s Eve parties and it was not uncommon to have an air raid siren or shot gun to be heard going off. The couple enjoyed entertaining and playing cards games with friends and family. However, in order to keep the peace in the marriage, some games had to be banned from being played in the home, as they both were very competitive. There was a time that a game of Monopoly led to the two not speaking to each other for a whole day.

Larry and Kay always had a big garden. He grew the plants and accredited his gardening skills from helping his mother in her garden. Kay and the girls were kept busy during the summer canning all the bounty from the garden. He loved to share the extra produce with the neighborhood and would have the girls take the surplus of veggies door to door in the little red wagon.

The days that he and Kay spent on Renae Lane held many fond memories. They enjoyed watching the neighbors raise their families. Seeing the young children riding bikes and playing reminded them of the days when they raised their own daughters. The neighbors became their adopted family and Larry enjoyed watching over the neighborhood.

Larry was known for his strong voice in matters and his stubborn tendencies, but he was always willing to help someone in need, and had a huge heart under his tough Façade. In his later years, he loved sharing advice and life lessons that he learned from his life experiences.

Larry remained strong in his faith to the very end. He found peace in knowing that God was in control of his health and that he would be united soon with his Heavenly Father. He continued sharing the message of salvation, even during his last days on earth. He will be greatly missed, but will live on in our hearts and memories until we are reunited in Heaven.

Larry was preceded in death by his parents, Erich & Helena Stuss; and his siblings, LaVeda Schroeder, Ralph Struss, Betty Anderson, and Doris Renz.

Larry is survived by his wife, Margaret “Kay” Struss of Kearney, NE; daughters & spouse, Sandy & Vic Fattig of Alliance, NE and Brenda Noyes of Kearney, NE; grandchildren & spouses, Brittany & Tyler Krzycki and great-grandchildren, Hunter and Madilyn of Lexington, NE, Christian & Angelina Fattig of Los Angeles, CA, Ashley & Jordan Mak of Chadron, NE, Ansley Noyes of Kearney, NE, Danielle Fattig of Kearney, NE, and Eric Noyes of Kearney, NE.