Obituary for Jerald E. “Jer” Lang

Jerald E. “Jer” Lang, 79, passed away tragically on Monday, April 5, 2021, near his home in the Town of Marshfield.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 am on Sunday, April 11, 2021, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Marshfield, with Rev. Keith Kitzhaber and Deacon Ray Draeger officiating. The service will be live-streamed at www.facebook.com/rembsfuneralhomes. Burial will be in Corpus Christi Cemetery, Bakerville and his grandchildren will serve as honorary and active pallbearers. Military rites will be conducted by the American Legion Post 54 of Marshfield. The visitation will be from 6:30 pm until 9:00 pm on Saturday and from 9:30 am until service time on Sunday, all at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Rembs Funeral Home is assisting the family.

Jerald was born on January 31, 1942, in Marshfield, to John C. and Regina (Pfahning) Lang. He was a 1960 graduate of Columbus High School. He was a veteran of the United States Army serving from March 12, 1962, until his honorable discharge on March 11, 1965. He married Diane H. Fisher on July 22, 1967, at St. John’s Catholic Church, Marshfield. She died on September 12, 1998. Later, he married Debara D. Wrensch on September 20, 2003.

Jer’s list of involvement in the community along with examples of his dedication to family and friends could take up a full page of this paper.  He began his working career in Marshfield at Schalow’s Nursery around 1970 and was employed there until 1982. Jer took a leap of faith in 1982 with a little help from his brother Jim and started his own landscape company, Central Wisconsin Landscaping and Yard Service which he owned and operated for 24 years.  Of course, owning a business wasn’t enough for Jer as he also maintained a small family-style guernsey farm of 40+ heifer cattle just to the south of the Marshfield city limits.  Before and after his landscape work Jer would tend to his own yard and his cattle. Jer’s work ethic was un-repeatable.  Taking care of cattle, looking out at his pasture full of guernseys, was his true passion, his first love in life. He was involved in the Central Wisconsin State Fair serving on the Fair Board and Junior Fair Board for many years. He traveled around the state to many other fairs as well, giving countless hours to the program and its youth, even chaperoning at State Fair for the last 50 years.  Over these 50 years, Jerry accumulated countless awards from 4-H, showing his guernsey cattle, and honoring his volunteerism.  Anyone who knows “The Jer” knows how he adored his guernsey cattle.  Work, cattle, and 4-H were still not enough as Jer was also involved in the development of the Marshfield Youth Wrestling Program in the mid-1980s alongside his nephew Pat Wingert and family friend Paul Needham.  Wrestling in Marshfield would not quite be the same without Jer’s involvement during those years.  There will be an uncomfortable silence in the wrestling stands for years to come as we won’t hear his voice cheering on those Marshfield wrestlers.  Upon retirement from landscaping in 2006, Jer began his involvement with St. Vincent de Paul as a volunteer where he did everything from moving furniture, to selling brats, to serving as President of the board.  He was instrumental in building the Transitional Shelter.  The community got out their wallets when Jer came walking up because they knew he was asking for donations for one of his many causes.  Countless volunteer hours between 4-H leadership, grooming cattle for his children, and for many great-nieces and nephews, St. Vincent’s, Corpus Christie Catholic Church events, and wrestling supporter earned him a well-deserved Jefferson Award in November, 2019 from WAOW News Channel 9.  He rarely missed an event involving his grandchildren competing in everything from wrestling, cross-country, soccer, dance, gymnastics, basketball, and the drama performances at MHS and at 4-H.  Stories will be told for years to come about everything. Words can’t be expressed to how much this amazing husband, father, grandfather, and friend will be missed.  “Donnie…you can’t flip that steak yet.”  We love you!

He is survived by his wife, Debbie, three sons and a daughter, David (Marion) Lang, Daniel (Anne) Lang, Dawn (James) Albanito, all of Marshfield, and Donald (Nikki) Lang of Chili and 11 grandchildren, Joshua (Rachel Roehl – fiance), Shelby Lang, Melanie, Brandon and Bryce Lang, Adam, Austin, and Nathan Albanito and Tessah, Taiya and Tevyn Lang. He is also survived by stepchildren, Torey (Luann) Wernberg of Wausau and Stacy Wernberg of Marshfield, and step-grandchildren, Evan and Aaron Wernberg. He is further survived by brothers and sisters, James Lang, Jerome (Shirley) Lang, Janice (Richard) Hansen, Judy (Dale) Garfield, and Jeanne (Darrell) Paasch, all of Marshfield.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Diane, an infant sister, Jacinta “Cindy”, a sister, Joanne Wingert Rifelman, a brother, John H. “Jack” Lang, and a sister-in-law, Jeanette Lang.

Memorials may be designated in Jerry’s name to Corpus Christi Catholic Church for maintenance and other building items. Condolences may be sent online to www.rembsfh.com