born in 1924 and died in 1945 at the age of 21. After graduation from Decorah High School, he was drafted into the Army during World War II. He completed basic training and was sent to the Philippine Islands as part of a bazooka team in the artillery. After only six months in the military, he was killed in action along the Villa Verde trail on the Island of Luzon. Walter Vincent was born in 1927. He graduated from Luther College, served 2+ years in the Army, one year with the occupational forces in Italy. He taught mathematics and sciences in area high schools for four years before joining his oldest brother, Maurice, in operating the “home" farm in Highland Twp. where they specialized in dairying. He married Adeline Lovstuen in 1950. They adopted two children, Steven who is farming with his parents and Karen (m. Mark Harthan) who lives in Clear Lake, IA. Adeline was a school teacher and bank secretary up until retirement. Besides farming, Walter has served over 35 consecutive years as an elected public official including four years in the Iowa legislature, 18 years on the Decorah School Board, 12 years as a Winneshiek Co. Supervisor, and 4 years as a trustee of the Winneshiek Co. Memorial Hospital. In addition, he served 14 years on the board of a four county Farm Supply Cooperative and on several statewide boards, some of which ran concurrently.

The Langland farm, named “Valley View Farm” lies along North Bear Creek in Highland Twp. and is a century plus farm having been purchased by Mons Langland in 1878. The farm was originally 257 acres in size, but was increased to 507 acres by Maurice and Walter about 1970 by purchase of two adjoining acreages. Extensive soil conservation practices have been employed on the farmland, and in 1978 it was judged the district and state soil conservation winner.

Langland, Walter & Adeline (Lovstuen)

(Walter Langland)

Walter V. Langland was the youngest of 9 children born to Charley Mons and Clara Elizabeth (Hille) Langland. The other brothers and sisters were Corrine (Mrs. George Hexom), Maurice, Richard, Joseph, Lois, Charles, Norma and Harold.Walter was born at Spring Grove, MN and grew up on the Langland farm in Highland Twp., Winneshiek Co., IA. He attended the rural school at Highland #1, often referred to as the Roosevelt School, and graduated from Decorah High School where he participated in choir, drama, track and football. In his senior year he was secretary of his class and was an all-conference end in football, receiving honorable mention for all-state by the Des Moines Register. Upon graduation in 1946, Langland volunteered for the military draft in September. He took his basic training at Camp Polk, LA before being shipped to the Mediterranean Theatre of Occupation at Leghorn (Livorno), Italy. He was discharged from the army in Jan of 1948 and immediately entered Luther College.

On 6 Aug 1950 he was united in marriage to Adeline Lovstuen. They moved to Ridgeway, IA where Adeline, a 1950 graduate of Luther College had her first teaching position. From Sep 1950 to Sep 1951, he was ordered back into military service as a reservist during the Korean war. He worked at the post office in Fort Leonard Wood, MO. He returned to Luther College in Sep 1951 to finish his studies in mathematics, science and physical education and graduated in May of 1952.

In August 1952, Walter was offered a teaching position in Ridgeway where his wife had taught for two years. In the summer of 1953 Walter made the decision to return to the Langland farm to join the operation with his oldest brother, Maurice. He was immediately offered a job teaching math, science and physical education in the high school in Spring Grove. He took the job and both taught and farmed. In 1955 he resigned the teaching job to farm full time, but in the fall of 1956 he returned to Spring Grove High School to teach mathematics while a colleague was on a leave of absence. In the summer of 1957 Walter and Adeline bought the farm in partnership with his brother and built a new home on the farm which they lived in through their retirement. In 1957 they adopted the first of their 2 children, Steven Paul and in 1960 they adopted Karen Louise.

Walter and Adeline Langland, April 1992,

Maurice retired from the partnership in 1976 and later sold his share of the farm to Walter in 1980. The brothers were very interested in soil and water conservation, having built some 5 miles of terraces and used contour and strip cropping. In 1978 they received the State of Iowa soil conservation award for their farming operation.

Throughout his life Walter always had an interest in government and politics. As a teacher, he was treasurer of the Houston Co., MN Education Ass’n. He was elected to the Decorah Community School Board in 1960 and served for 18 years (1960-1978) when he resigned to become a County Supervisor for 12 years (1978-1990). As a school board member, he was a district director on the executive board of the Iowa Ass'n. of School Boards for 9 years. As a County Supervisor, he was a district di