Gene Larry Ahrens

On September 2, 1947 in Wisconsin, Gene was born to Reverend Lawrence and Frieda Ahrens. The eldest of his family, he grew up in Missouri and Illinois. He had two brothers, Mark (Karen) & Nelson and one sister Mary Anna Pelser (Ed). Gene decided to get serious about his relationship with the Lord after high school following a personal trauma.

Gene had a varied career post high school. He worked for Chicago's Lighthouse for the Blind, as well as for the Greyhound bus company on diesel engines. However, his favorite job was making and dying plastic sheeting with Exxon. He would have been content to do that job forever but an accident at the plant resulted in a broken arm and that changed the course of Gene’s destiny and legacy.

While at the plant, Gene was introduced to Bobbie Jo Cooper, a single mom who had been attending his mother’s Bible study. He married Bobbie and adopted her two boys. Together they had another son and daughter. As a family they cared for foster kids and took in troubled youth. Through a friendship they learned about how Wycliffe Bible Translators fulfills the Great Commission from Matthew 28:16-20. After sensing a call from the Lord, Gene accepted the calling to be a faith-based Wycliffe short-term assistant. In 1979 Gene quit his job, sold their home and moved his family of six from Huntley, IL to their first assignment at JAARS, in Waxhaw, NC. They were invited to join the missionary transport team and they accepted, with Gene serving as a semi-truck driver. They moved from short-term assistant status to full membership in 1981 and in 1983 took an assignment in Papua New Guinea working on air strip construction. That led to becoming Children's Home parents, and eventually Regional Center managers. In 2005 Bobbie died suddenly leaving Gene to return to JAARS and work with the lawn maintenance crew. Gene met Marilyn Ruth Steed Nickel at a JAARS singles group and they were married in late 2006. Together they served with Wycliffe in Suriname and Papua New
Guinea. At the time of his passing, he was volunteering part-time, with Marilyn at the Alphabet Museum at JAARS.

Gene enjoyed bicycling, sailing, writing stories, calligraphy, museums, making and listening to music, traveling, discipling youth and spending time with family.

Gene’s legacy is continued by his wife, Marilyn, sons, Marc (Stephanie), Scott (Jennifer), Nathan (Narelle), daughter Lori Beth Lartey (Joseph), David Nickel and Jennifer Syed (Najeeb). He is also survived by his grandchildren; Martin (28), Alexis (22), Kaelan (22), Kelsey (21), Abigail (19), Brandon (16), Selina (15), Nehemiah (11) Morisa (17) and by the thousands of people he touched through his selfless dedication to spreading God’s love to the ends of the earth.

A Memorial service will be held at Waxhaw Bible Church at 3:30 pm on January 24, 2022. The family will be receiving visitors from 3:00 pm to 3:30 pm prior to the service.

In lieu of flowers please make a donation to JAARS at https://www.jaars.org/give
Please share memories at https://remembr.com/gene.ahrens

Online condolences may be made at www.gordonfuneralservice.com

Gordon Funeral Service & Crematory is serving the Ahrens family.