Kensett – Charles O. Medlang, 71 of Kensett, passed away peacefully Thursday, November 4, 2021 at the Lutheran Retirement Home after a courageous battle.
Funeral services will be held 2:00 p.m. Monday, November 8, 2021 at Elk Creek Lutheran Church, 4108 Killdeer Ave, Kensett, IA 50448 with Rev. Linda Johnson Prestholt officiating. He will be laid to rest in Elk Creek Lutheran Cemetery, rural Kensett.
A livestream of the services may be found at:
https://www.facebook.com/ConnerColonialChapel/
Visitation will be held from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m Sunday, November 7, 2021 at the Kensett Community Center, 300 Willow St, Kensett, IA 50448. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church.
The family suggests memorials be directed to Elk Creek Lutheran Church or the Elk Creek Lutheran Cemetery Association.
Charles Obed Medlang was born May 24, 1950 in Mason City, the first of eight children of James and Lucille (Knutson) Medlang. Growing up in Worth County, Charles was baptized and confirmed at Elk Creek Lutheran Church. He graduated from Northwood Kensett High School in 1968 and went on to continue his education at NIACC and Iowa State where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree specialising in Dairy Science. He returned to the family farm to help his father and uncle. On June 23, 1984 he married the love of his life, Linda C. Mills at Renwick United Methodist Church. To this union two children were born, Steven and Michelle. The family made their home outside of Kensett on the family farm where Charles spent his days and nights caring for their dairy cows. For over 37 years the family and Charles have taken great pride in their herd.
Charles and Linda’s Brown Swiss cows were always more than a job. The family worked to educate young people through 4-H and donating animals to the Share a Heifer program through the Brown Swiss Association. He was very active in the Iowa Brown Swiss Association, serving as both president and vice president in the past. He was also a member of the National Brown Swiss Cattle Breeder Association for countless years. He looked forward to National Conventions and State meetings, but most of all he enjoyed the people he met and made friends with along the way. Charles was a longtime member of Elk Creek Lutheran Church where he dedicated his time to church council serving as president, Sunday school teacher, and the Cemetery Association Board where he marked countless graves over the years.
His life was dedicated to family, friends and God. He cared for his cattle and farmland as best he could to pass it on to the next generation. He worked most days from sunrise till late in the evenings, caring for the herd until recently. This spring he was still out helping with bottle calves and did all the spring tillage. Throughout the 17 years of Parkinson’s, Prostate cancer, and Waldenstroms he kept his head up and hands moving, until they began to take a toll recently and his strength faded. Charles was a farmer, through and through, and though his physical ailments stopped him from doing what he loved here, we know he is enjoying the glories of his farm in Heaven.
Those left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife of 37 years, Linda; his son, Steven Medlang of Kensett, and daughter, Michelle Medlang of Rochester, MN; siblings, Inez (David) Metzger of Burlington, Lois (David) McNutt of Mission, TX, Morris (Jenelle) Medlang of Kensett, Joanna (Joe) Schmidt of Kensett, Marie (Jack) Ruiter of Northwood, Grace (Bruce) Pixley of Grafton, and James (Linda) Medlang Jr. of Northwood; Linda’s sister, Ramona (Marvin) Nielsen; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and extended family members.
Preceding him in death are his parents, James and Lucille Medlang; a brother-in-law, Lowell Stumo; and Linda’s parents, Ray and Dona Gene (Stole) Mills.
https://www.colonialchapels.com/
