Karl Langland

Karl Alden Langland, 94, passed away on March 22, 2017 in Monahans, Texas. He was born in Cougray Wisconsin on May 14, 1922 in Sawyer County. May 14 being Mother's Day he lived in a 12X20 log shack. His parents made the logs from the Pines and hard other hard woods in northern Wisconsin. Wages were only $2.50 a day at that time. Logs were driven down the rivers by river men. Logs were often "jammed" in the ending of the rivers, the men were fed beans sandwiches from dynamite boxes labeled "Hi Explosives." Life was rough in the frontiers of Wisconsin, we milked a cow or two, fed a pig or two, and checked on the Horses and oxen to make sure they were okay. When the logging played out men were forced to clean and farm the land and tend to their animals. He was from the Langland family of seven.
His mother's maiden named Mina McClaine, she was a STA Engineer. His mother's family was 13 in numbers and his fathers was six in numbers. His father's father immigrated from Drammen, Norway, and his grandmother was of German extraction of Milwaukee. His grandfather of Norway was employed in the Lumber Piles of Rice Lake where he lived until he was nine. There is where his family became dairy farmers and raised cucumbers for the "Pickle Factories." His job was herding cattle. His family became hunters, they hunted land birds, rabbits, squirrels, and deer.

He had to walk two and half miles to school and did farming chores after school. Winters were fierce, snow fall was so thick it would often become three feet deep in a matter of time. Along with temperatures 40 below zero. Commonly his family had potbellied stoves to stay warm along with eating hot food. Chores were done to take care of the cattle, horses, and other livestock.

He attended High School in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. He had no home, so he built himself a shack on vacant land, and graduated from Rice Lake High School in 1941. War broke out in 1941 while he was in Wisconsin, so he enlisted in the Army Air Corps. He fought with eight Air Force in England and the fifth Air Force on Guam. He retired from the Air Force in June 1, 1970.

Karl met his first wife Dorothy Green when he was stationed in Alabama in 1942, they had six children. Karl was sent back overseas to be a gunman on B-29 Top Gunner or bombers runs over Germany. Coming home from a bombing run in Germany his plane was shot up badly. The crew had and they were trying to get to their base as they landed the wing dropped off the plane. Karl was bleeding from a leg wound the emergency men were trying to unload the injured as the plane was afire, they couldn't get to Karl so they had to cut a hole in the side of the tail end of the plane to get him out and all the men to the hospital. He was in the hospital when Normandy Invasion and saw all the plains fly over, then was sent back to the states. Later Karl joined the CIA and did recruiting in Chicago, IL. He was then sent to Japan after the war to assist. He was in military service for 28 years, and retired do to his wife's illness, and unfortunately, she passed away. He moved his children with his mother in law and he began building houses and selling them. Karl later remarried and moved to Clanton, Alabama with his new wife Martha. They traveled all over the United States, and was married 30 years, she passed away and she is buried in Alabama. Karl came to Texas on business and met his third wife, a widow of 30 yrs., Bobbie Nichols. They married in Kermit on July 30, 2016 and resided in Monahans. Karl was a Southern Baptist Deacon and enjoyed giving talks in Alabama on World War II, the depression years, and growing up in Wisconsin. Karl enjoyed going to the schools and civic groups sharing his memories and stories.

Karl is survived by his wife Bobbie Langland, children, Mina Twitchell, Lars Langland, Elton Langland, Charlene Langland, Conrad Langland, Eric Langland, Rick Handlin, and Scott Handlin.

Visitation

Harkey Funeral Home
210 S. Allen
Monahans, TX  79756
Thursday, March 23, 2017
2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Service

Southside Baptist Church
1402 S. Main
Monahans, TX  79756
Friday, March 24, 2017
2:00 p.m.

Cemetery

Monahans Memorial Cemetery
4th and Helen
Monahans, TX  79756