Wayne L. Lang

Wayne Lang, 84, Sterling, passed away, peacefully, on April 21, 2018, at the Baptist Health Care Center in Bismarck, surrounded by his family. Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, April 26, at Grace Lutheran Church, Driscoll, with Pastoral Minister Gail Hagerty officiating. Burial will be held at Grace Lutheran Church Cemetery in Driscoll, immediately following services. Visitation will be held from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 25 at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck, with sharing of memories and stories beginning at 7:00 p.m. Visitation will continue one hour prior to services at the church. Wayne Leonard Lang was born on January 31, 1934, in Bismarck, to Richard and Florence (Langley) Lang. He was raised on the family farm in Sterling and graduated from Bismarck High School in 1952. Wayne married Delores Fried on June 2, 1953, and they were blessed with two children, Lonny and Susan. Wayne was employed by Jacobson Construction, traveling throughout North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana, and Minnesota with his family in tow, building grain elevators from 1954 until 1960, when he returned to North Dakota and purchased the family farm. Wayne operated the farming and ranching business on his own until Lonny joined him in 1975, and they ran the operation together until 1999, when Wayne retired. In addition to farming and ranching, Wayne was a bus driver for Sterling School while his children were young, and he also drove the Burleigh County bus for West River Transportation for over 10 years. Throughout his life, Wayne was actively involved in many community-based organizations, including the Sterling Lions Club, the Sterling Rural Fire Department, and the Sterling Cemetery Board. Wayne was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Driscoll, where he served as the church treasurer for over 30 years. He and Delores enjoyed volunteering their time with the church youth group and teaching Sunday school. In his younger years, Wayne was a strong athlete who excelled at basketball, softball, and baseball. He was a wizard at crossword puzzles and enjoyed bowling, pool, and playing cards. Wayne always had time to visit with a friend or to help out someone in need. He had a mischievous side, and he liked to joke and make people laugh. Anyone who knew Wayne can attest to the fact that he was not one to be rushed; in fact, if you tried to rush him, the likely outcome was that he would go more slowly, on purpose. He was a meticulous carpenter and bookkeeper, going to great lengths to ensure that every angle was perfectly aligned and every penny accounted for. Wayne’s meticulous nature was also reflected in his embroidery skills, which he learned from his mother at a young age. Although he rarely demonstrated this skill, Delores proclaimed that Wayne’s running stitch was better than hers! Above all, Wayne was a man who loved his family. He was especially proud of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and he took advantage of any opportunity to display their pictures from his wallet and to talk about them with anyone willing to listen. Wayne made spending time with his grandchildren a priority – he was never “too busy” to read them a book or to drive them out to the pasture to pick wildflowers. Wayne and Delores were actively involved in the lives of their grandchildren and great-grandchildren, rarely missing an activity or event. Wayne was a kind, patient soul who will be missed by many. He is survived by his children, Lonny (Korrine) Lang, of Sterling, and Susan (Terrill) Nelson, Driscoll; four grandchildren, Karli (Jay Dobbert) Ghering, Kelsey (Chad) Anderson, and Jesse (Kristina) Nelson, all of Bismarck, and Kerry (Aaron Berg) Pehl, Driscoll; nine great-grandchildren, Tanner Ghering, Everett and Oliver Anderson, Brennan, Brooklyn, Mallory, and Mariah Nelson, Hannah Pehl, and Emmy Berg; a sister, Edythe Mittleider, Steele; brother-in-law, Alvin (Judy) Fried, Driscoll; sister-in-law Shirley (Wesley) Scott, Bismarck; and many nieces, nephews, and cousins, including a special niece, Mary Ann Mittleider, Bismarck. Wayne was reunited in Heaven with his wife, Delores; his parents, Richard and Florence; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Reinhold and Elizabeth Fried; and his grandparents and several aunts, uncles, and cousins. Wayne’s family would like to extend a heartfelt “thank you” to the staff at the Baptist Health Care Center, especially to those who took such wonderful care of “Grandpa” in the Wild Rose neighborhood where he lived during the last five years. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to Grace Lutheran Church in Driscoll, or to an organization of the donor’s choice.