Larry Joseph Neff

Larry Joseph Neff of Marshfield, Missouri, departed this life at the age of 73, on December 6, 2023 from a brief and hard fought battle with cancer. This loss was unexpectedly sudden leaving family and friends shocked and deeply saddened. He will be truly missed in so many ways. 

Larry was born January 26, 1950, to Sam and Helen (Dempewolf) Neff, in Washington, Iowa. Larry grew up as a high-spirited boy on a farm in Richland, Iowa, with his parents and nine siblings and a strong work ethic that he carried with him through his life. While the adventurous story of how he attended Pekin School District but eventually graduated from Washington High School may be recounted, the story of how his  1964 red Ford Convertible Galaxie pulled up for a first date in front of a house in Brighton is even better. 

Larry married the love of his life, Constance Joan (Nash) on November 29, 1969 and they recently celebrated their 54th wedding anniversary in their new retirement home that they enjoyed together over the last three years.  They had come a long way from their first 3 roomed apartment with a shared bath in Muscatine, Iowa. 

Larry and Connie worked diligently side-by-side to pay his way through junior college and then graduate from Missouri Western State University as a family of three in 1973. By 1975, they were a family of four living in the first of many houses that they would buy together in Iowa, Minnesota, Arkansas and Missouri. 

Although Larry worked for years in Human Resource Management, the couple also owned a farm in Mt. Pleasant, and acquired their Real Estate licenses together. But his favorite occupation came later as he became a truck driver that allowed the couple the memories of traveling as a team and then he began driving more locally for a construction company. 

Larry loved carpentry and was a very detailed and organized craftsmen; he was often busy remodeling their homes and handcrafting many things out of wood and metal in his workshop. He enjoyed working on and rebuilding his recognizably orange Allis-Chalmers tractors of which he was a life-long admirer. He relished being outdoors doing things like hunting, fishing and trap shooting. He especially got a kick out of mushroom hunting. Although he was not often found indoors, his favorite genre was the Old West and he enjoyed watching classic Western television and movies. He took delight in getting together with his large family for holidays which often culminated with him tampering with a few things as they played some rousing games of cards or pool. 

Having been born the third child in a family of ten kids, his own family very proudly grew in size with two daughters, eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren. 

Larry will be remembered as a fiercely independent man that had a diligent fondness for fixing and constructing things of quality. Even until his last breath he was still talking about building a garage in which he was making plans to restore a 1963 convertible Ford Thunderbird, a plan very fitting for a man that had a special talent for being able to tell what kind of car was coming up the road by the sound of it. A talent that could only be topped by his magnificent natural sense of direction and his ability to drive to any destination. He had a never ending sense of humor that could often be observed in his exclusive style of dancing. He had an abundant appetite that was only squelched by his hatred of salad, mayonnaise and mixed foods like casseroles. 

But most of all and above everything else you could say about Larry, his first love was Connie; they built their life together and their love story was his most treasured possession. 

He is survived by his loving wife, Connie Neff; two daughters, Laura Allen and Tim of Haslet, TX; Amanda Neff of Mt. Pleasant, IA; eleven grandchildren, Brittany Walker, Joshua Allen, Ashley Woehrer, Andrea Prewitt, Leslie Elliott, Braden Denning, Quinn Allen, Lindsey Allen, Gina Allen, Erin Allen, Olivia Allen; 6 great grandchildren; Payton, Gavin, Vivian, Brantley and two coming soon;  brothers and sisters, Jim (Julia) Neff, Ronald Neff, Marsha (Greg Gaut) Neff, Robert (Roberta) Neff, Barbara (Kenneth) Humston, John (Debbie) Neff, William (Julie) Neff. He was preceded in death by his parents; his brother, Richard Neff; his sister Donna Neff.

Cremation is entrusted to the care of Fraker Funeral Home, Inc., Marshfield, Missouri.