A Celebration of Life for Larry "Hummer" Kocian, age 70, of Gross, Nebraska will be at 4 pm on Monday, April 27, 2026 at the Nebrask Inn in Gross.  Jeff Hart will officiate.  A Visitation will follow the service until 8 pm at the Nebrask Inn.  Hummer passed away unexpectedly on Saturday, April 11, 2026 at his home in Gross.  His family requests casual attire for the services.  Arrangements are entrusted to Biglin's Mortuary in Spencer.

Lawrence Robert Kocian was born in Winner, South Dakota on August 18, 1955 to Stanley and Margaret (Nelson) Kocian.  In Hummer's early life, his father was a Railroad man, so the family constantly moved up and down the rail line, spending time in 27 different towns.  In 1960, the family finally settled in Spencer, Nebraska.  At six years old, he lost his left eye after a horse kicked him.  Hummer graduated from Spencer High School in 1973.

After high school, Hummer worked for a local company drilling test holes along the Missouri River in Northeast Nebraska, in 1977 he started working the Bureau of Reclamation as a drill operator, drilling test holes for various large projects, like the Calamus Dam.  They later transferred him to Wyoming and Montana until 1983.

Hummer married Karen Mueller at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Spencer in September 1980.  To this union, one son was born, Justin.  The couple later divorced in late 1983.  Hummer returned to Bristow in 1983 to be closer to family and worked for Grosch Irrigation.  In 1992, he started his computer business, Pre-owned Computers.  He moved to an acreage near Gross, Nebraska in 2000 and shortly after, started helping out at the Nebrask Inn till it closed in February 2026.  He also worked for Boyd County for a time, running a road maintainer, sheered trees for local landowners, and in the summers worked for the NRD testing wells for chemicals.

For the past 21 years, his son and two brothers (Ed and Rob) took an annual week-long end of summer road trip where they spent time sight-seeing, explored many sights, and National Parks from as far east as Michigan all the way to California and the south to Houston, Texas United States.  Hummer loved to read, especially John Grisham.  He was a history buff, always learning whatever he could.  He also loved to fish and hunt, especially deer season, which was like a holiday for him.  Hummer was an avid Husker fan.  Hummer was an extremely proud father and grandfather, always willing to drop anything to spend time with his granddaughters.

Hummer was a charter member of the Ponca Creek Pheasants Forever, hunter education instructor, a member of the NRA, and a regular contributor at the Monday night "Table of Knowledge" at the bar in Lynch.

Hummer is survived by his son, Justin (Jessica) Kocian of Dakota City, Nebraska; two grandchildren, Kylie and Sydney Kocian; six siblings, Mike (Terri) Kocian of Billings, Montana, Ev (Barry) Loock of Lincoln, Nebraska, Tom (Andrea) Kocian of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Don (Kathy) Kocian of Springfield, Missouri, Ed Kocian of Spencer, Nebraska, and Robert Kocian of Spencer, Nebraska; a sister-in-law, Doris Kocian of Butte, Nebraska; and many nieces and nephews.

Hummer was preceded in death by his parents; a brother, Dave Kocian; two sisters-in-law, Kathi Kocian and Jennifer Kocian; and his nephew, Dan Kocian.