10-4 Magazine February 2024

Iowa Customs 20-inch rear bumper, and I-29 Customs rear fenders. I asked Chris who taught him how to drive and he said, “Between dad and grandpa, they have taught me everything in life. They have taught me everything I know about farming, taking care of the land, trucking, and taking care of your equipment so it will take care of you. If there was a person that was harder on me than myself, it was grandpa, and now that I can look back, I can see why. All he wanted to do was to teach me how to be successful in life.” In all this, Wilbur taught Chris to be honorable, respectful, humble, and to maintain his integrity. In 2022, Wilbur was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and through the fall harvest of 2022, he was still driving his truck. Chris had always wanted to get photos of himself, Tom, and Wilbur, along with their trucks, and with Wilbur’s diagnosis, it quickly became a priority. But Chris wasn’t sure how to go about getting these photos done. Last year (2023), Chris, Tom, and a family friend of theirs made a trip to MATS (Mid-America Trucking Show) in Louisville, KY at the end of March and began looking for someone that could possibly take the pictures they wanted. Not knowing what to do or how to do it, they saw a guy taking pictures that looked like he knew what he was doing, so the trio approached him. That person was indeed a professional truck photographer, friend, and a regular contributor for 10-4 Magazine, Frank Strohmyer. After an explanation from Chris, Frank directed them to the 10-4 Magazine booth, where they spoke with Shannon Linss. Knowing I had just moved back to Wisconsin and wasn’t too far from where the Prins family resides, Shannon sent me Chris’ phone number and the rest, as they say, is history. I had already scheduled to shoot a couple trucks in Minnesota, so it made sense to work their three into the same weekend. I’ll be honest, I was concerned I would make it in time, because Chris said his grandpa was having good and bad days and the clock seemed to have been ticking regarding how much time Wilbur had left. I went to see the Prins family on Saturday, July 8, 2023, and I immediately felt welcomed like I was in the presence of friends. The time I spent with this family was filled with a range of emotions including smiles, laughter, and tears. As 10-4 Magazine / February 2024 55