Lawrence Marvin Wantland

Lawrence Marvin Wantland II (also known as Larry), died peacefully Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at Legacy Lodge in Chariton. He was born July 26, 1937 at Columbus, KS., to Lawrence Marvin Wantland I and Leila Marguerite Mehaffey Wantland.

During his childhood, his original family moved several times to towns in Kansas and Oklahoma and later to Shreveport, LA and then to towns in Iowa. He was babtized as a young teenager at King’s Highway Christian Church, Shreveprot, LA. He graduated from high school at Delta, IA in 1955 and graduated from Northeast Missouri State Teacher’s College at Kirksville, MO with a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1960. His entire teaching career was at Chariton High School, where he taught Industrial Technology, Drafting, and Electronics for 38 years and also Driver’s Ed.

In 1962, he married Shirley Powers and to this union three children were born: Lori, Lawrence Marvin Wantland III, and Toni. In 1982, he later married Lonna Hanson and in 1983, Benjamin Wantland II was born.

He touched many student’s lives through teaching and came from a family of teachers. His family and his children were always the most important to him. He was an original lifeguard at the Chariton swimming pool.

He was well respected by his students and always had “a way with kids”. Various students went onto careers in drafting and electronics. Numerous friends were made over the years through fishing, camping, ham radio, boating, hunting, waterskiing and traveling. Nicknames his students gave him were, “Boat Wantland” and “Root Bear”. He loved nature.

A highlight of his career was the 1994 ham radio contact with the Russian cosmonaut. Only four US schools were chosen. He was a good storyteller.

Surviving him are his wife, Lonna; his children, Lori (Jeff) Hansen, Lawrence (Nancy) Wantland III, Toni (Todd) Perdew and Benjamin Wantland II; his grandchildren, Christopher, Thomas, Devin Kahn, Ashley Wantland, Lauren Perdew and Carmen Perdew;  and several nieces, nephews, and  father-in-law,  Ernest Hanson of Northwood, IA.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Ann Orlander; his granddaughter, Taylor Kahn and mother-in-law, Erma Hanson.

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