Our 2008 Hall of Fame Inductee was born in 1936 on the family farm in Central Iowa, the oldest child with two younger sisters.
At a young age he had a keen interest in and became very knowledgeable about the Ayrshire breed of dairy cattle and raised and showed the breed during his 4-H years. He was chosen to show one of his Ayrshires to then President Eisenhower during a visit to the Iowa State Fair and hosted the Lennon Sisters in the cow barn. While in 4-H he served as an officer in local capacities and in 1956 was Iowa State 4-H President. Before graduating in 1954 he also received the FFA Iowa Farmer degree and was State FFA Vice President in 1954-55.
Following high school, he worked with his dad on the farm, for Lippitt Farm in Rhode Island and attended Reppert School of Auctioneering in 1958—the same school that his dad had attended the previous year. During that time he was County Farm Bureau Young People’s President and was a contestant from Iowa in the National Farm Bureau Young People’s Talk Meet.
He served in the Army from 1959-61 and following discharge he spent several years as editor of the Ayrshire Digest, in Brandon, Vermont. He was then on staff at Hoard’s Dairyman in Ft. Atkinson, Wisconsin, and while there he met a young registered nurse that became his wife. They were married in December of 1967 and they just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on December 2nd. They have three daughters and their 5 grandchildren are a special delight to them.
He began farming in 1972, building a heard of quality registered Ayrshire dairy cattle, which he maintained until 1985, capturing many high-place ribbons at the Iowa State Fair and national shows. He was awarded lifetime membership in the National Dairy Shrine Club. He also assisted his dad in the auction business and assumed the business in 1986.
After retiring from farming in 1993 the family then moved to town and for the past 12 years he has sold advertising and written farm-related articles for a local shopper, all the while growing and improving his auction business.
His current auction business has grown over the years and he has initiated an auction website for advertising and runs a consignment auction. He has a faithful and loyal auction crew who he treats with the greatest respect and appreciation.
He has been a member of his Baptist Church and served as deacon and treasurer. For the past 25 years he has received special satisfaction in serving one week every summer as counselor at the church’s camp for special needs children and adults.
Through the years he has auctioned numerous farm and estate sales, both the Iowa and Illinois State Ayrshire sales, National Ayrshire sales plus other dairy sales and many benefit auctions. He not only has been in the auction business for 50 years, he has been a long time member of the IAA and served as President and has held all the offices the IAA has to offer.
Ladies and Gentlemen your 2008 Hall of Fame Inductee:
Col. Larry Sears |
