Charles William Herman, 91, of Concordia passed away Sunday, October 22, 2023, at the NCK Medical Center in Concordia. He was born on December 10, 1931, in rural Lincoln County, Kansas to Wendell Robert and Anna Arminda (Locke) Herman.Charles attended elementary school at Prairie Grove, a one-room school with one teacher for all 8 grades. He graduated from Lincoln High School in 1949 and from Kansas State University in 1953 with a B.S. in geology.
Upon graduation, he received a commission in the U.S. Air Force as a Second Lieutenant and served his country from 1954 to 1956. He then returned to Kansas State and received an M.S. degree in geology and worked for oil companies in Arkansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana for 8 years. After returning to Kansas State for a teaching certificate, he taught 8th-grade science and coached basketball at Concordia Junior-Senior High School for 23 years while also farming in Lincoln County. Charles retired from teaching in 1988 but continued farming full time in Lincoln County until 2010.
He married Leota Nitsch on August 31, 1952, at Bethany Baptist Church, rural Hunter, KS, their home church. Charles’ grandfather, Rev. Charley Herman, a Methodist minister for many years performed the ceremony. God blessed Charles and Leota with 5 children: Douglas Lynn, Sandra Joyce, Anna Irene, Eric Wendell and Kenneth Charles.
Charles accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Savior at an early age and served Him faithfully his entire life in the many places he lived. He was a long-time member of The Baptist Church in Concordia where he served over the years as a Sunday school teacher, youth sponsor, Finance Board member, and on various committees and ministry teams.
Charles was a quiet person, a deep thinker, had a dry sense of humor and was very witty. He was a devoted and loving husband and father. Charles enjoyed woodworking and made several pieces of furniture for their home, doll houses for the granddaughters and wooden toys for the grandsons. Charles and Leota enjoyed traveling and visited 49 of the 50 states (not Hawaii). They also spent 16 days in Cape Town, South Africa in 1999 visiting their former exchange student and spent 33 days in Alaska in 2008 with an RV group of 45 motor-home enthusiasts from all over the U.S. touring the state of Alaska. Many members of the RV group continued to meet annually for a reunion and have become good friends.
Charles is survived by his wife, Leota Herman; son, Douglas Herman (Kathryn), Concordia, KS; daughters, Sandra Church (Kenneth), Leavenworth, KS, and Anna Herman Mason (Richard Maeso), Concordia, KS; grandchildren, Jenny Herman Sullivan (Shawn), Topeka, KS, Alissa Herman Smith (Benjamin), Olathe, KS, Caleb Church, K.C., KS, Seth Church, K.C., KS, Aaron Herman (Erin), Concordia, KS, Russell Herman, Haysville, KS, Erica Herman Quave (Brandon), McKinney, TX, Hannah Church, Lawrence, KS, Sarah Church Hamilton (Nicholas), Weatherford, TX, Jared Herman (Joii), Lodi, CA, and Garrett Herman (Rebecca), Dallas, TX; great-grandchildren, Drew, Grace, Brooke & Claire Sullivan; Gavin, Ella & Liam Smith; Emma, Abby, Anders & Ezra Herman; Faith & Easton Quave; Brianna, Kyren, Taegan, Raegan, Rylee, Treysen, Tyus & Tobin Herman; Isaac Lane & Hazel Herman; Evelyn & Landry Herman; sisters, Roberta Wirth, Lincoln, KS, & Carol Gabelmann (Jackson), Bulverde, TX; brother Richard Herman (Sharon), Salina, KS and many nieces, nephews and friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, a baby brother, Johnny Herman, and sons Kenneth & Eric Herman.
Funeral Ceremony will be held at 2:00 pm, Friday, October 27, 2023 at the The Baptist Church in Concordia with Ken Johnson officiating. Visitation will be held from 1-8 pm with the family greeting friends from 6:30-8 pm, Thursday, October 26, 2023, at Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, Concordia. Burial with military honors by McConnell AFB, American Legion Post #76 & VFW Post #588 will follow the services at Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Concordia. The family suggests memorials to The Baptist Church in care of the funeral home. Condolences may be left online at www.chaputbuoy.com.