Ross “Junior” Hankins was born to Ross and and Anna Wyman Hankins on May 13, 1934 at the family farm in Rueter, MO. He was an only child, but had aunts and uncles who were raised with him. He graduated from Forsyth High School in 1953, and after a short time doing construction work, began working as a cattle order buyer and cattle producer, jobs he excelled at for over 50 years. He was known throughout the nation for his expertise in finding the right cattle for a person’s need.

Junior married Twillia June Hodges on January 24, 1953 and to this union was born a son, Donald Ross Hankins. Junior and Twillia celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary before her passing  in 2003. They enjoyed fishing  and going to basketball games and livestock shows, especially those that involved their grandchildren, Laura and Jason. They were proud supporters of FFA and would gladly tell you about their son, the ag teacher. Junior had a group of buddies that met every morning at the local coffee shop to eat breakfast and solve the world’s problems.

Junior was a much loved great-grandpa to five of the smartest, most talented kids around. He spent the last five years of his life in a skilled nursing facility where his room was decorated with many pictures of his great-grandchildren and cattle. Grandpa Junior loved to joke and tease. You knew if he was teasing you, it meant he loved you.

He attended church services at the nursing facility and was baptized there.

Junior passed away on March 25, 2023 at the age of 88. He was preceded in death by his parents Ross and Anna, wife Twillia, son Donald, and grandson-in-law Grayson Gaddy. He is survived by grandchildren: Jason (Pam), Emma, and Jessi Hankins; Laura, Anna, Drew, and Alex Gaddy; and daughter-in-law Karen Hankins.

Funeral services will be at 1:00 p.m. Thursday, March 30, 2023, at Northstar Country Church, with burial to follow, in Wyman cemetery, in Rueter, Missouri. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital