Maynard John Lang

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Maynard John Lang, Brooklyn, Iowa, passed away in his home on September 24, 2021, at age 95.   Maynard was born north of Brooklyn in the home of his parents, Howie and Stella (Hendrickson) Lang. A Celebration of  Life service will be at 1:30 p.m., Sunday, October 31, 2021, at Madison Church of Christ, rural Brooklyn with Pastor Joel Nielsen officiating. A time of fellowship and refreshments will follow after the service.

        He was a life-long member of the Madison Church of Christ, serving as a Sunday school teacher and Elder.  He attended a one room schoolhouse across the road from the church and decided to attend Grinnell High School instead of Brooklyn, as his three older sisters and brother had, because it had a vocational agriculture class.  He graduated salutatorian of his class in 1943.

 He married Dorothy Charlotte Beem on June 1, 1948, and started farming her grandfather’s farm south of Brooklyn and farmed there throughout his life.  They were the parents of four children, John Howie (Nancy Springsteen) Lang, John's friend Catherine Lamb, twins Craig Allen (Mary Lee Montgomery) Lang and Christine (Tom) Turpin and Eric Walter (Nicole Schlinger) Lang.

          Maynard was preceded in death by his wife of 64 years, his parents and his older sisters Evelyn (Gilford) Moore and Irene (Daryl) Gallagher and his older brother Merle (Pat and Bonnie) Lang.  He is survived by his four children, eight grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren, his two younger brothers Jack Lang and Larry Lang, and sister-in-law, Bonnie Lang.

           Maynard served for many years as director or president of various Iowa dairy marketing and promotion organizations.  He considered it an achievement to convince six other states to merge their dairy organizations into what is now “Midwest Dairy”.  He overcame complications of what to do with the local board presidents and executives to create what is one of the largest and most successful organizations representing dairy farmers in the nation.   He also served as President of the National Dairy Board.  In earlier years, he served as Poweshiek County, Iowa, Zoning Chairman, and chairman of a committee to consolidate the Brooklyn, Guernsey and Malcom School districts.

          He enjoyed playing his harmonica at church and for nursing home residents.  As it became more difficult to get around, he kept busy mowing the very large lawns on the farm where he lived and died, just four days after an afternoon of mowing lawn.

          A private family committal was held with Joel Nielsen officiating.  His ashes were interred next to his wife, Dorothy, and also at the dairy farm where he lived.  Kloster Funeral Home is assisting with arrangements.

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