Roger "Thriller" Thrailkill

Roger "Thriller" Thrailkill, age 76, of Laurens, passed away on Monday, October 13, 2025, at his home in Laurens, Iowa.

Roger James Thrailkill was born on January 12, 1949, near Ida Grove, Iowa. He was the son of Rolla and Gladys (Carlson) Thrailkill. Roger was raised in Arthur, Iowa and graduated from Odebolt-Arthur High School in 1967. He continued his education at Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge where he received Diesel Mechanic Training. In 1969, Roger married Connie Ketelsen in Knierim, Iowa. To this union, a son, Ryan, was born. The couple settled near Laurens and Roger worked as a mechanic for Dudley Implement. In the early 1980s, he started a long career driving truck for Ron and Bob Reed with Triple R Trucking. In 2001, Roger met Kate Ellis which began a longtime relationship. He retired from trucking in 2016 and began helping Tony Ahlers on his farm.

Roger was a member of the Laurens Golf and Country Club. He loved golfing, collecting John Deere toys and watching the Iowa State Cyclones.

Survivors include Kate Ellis of Laurens; his sons, Ryan (Brooke) Thrailkill of Ankeny and Travis Rauhauser of Stanhope; 5 grandchildren, Sydni, Koy, Emily, Kevin and Lillian, and a brother, Richard (Linda) Thrailkill of Ames.

Roger was preceded in death by his parents, Rolla and Gladys.