Janet Langbein, age 87 of Lake View, IA, passed away on Monday, April 10, 2023, at Black Hawk Life Care Center in Lake View surrounded by her family. Janet Rae Kreft was born a New Year’s baby on January 1, 1936, to parents John Jr. and Elsie (Batz) Kreft in Lake City, IA. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in rural Sac City. She and her siblings were raised on the family farm just south of Lytton, IA. Janet attended country school through the eighth grade and then Lytton High School, graduating with the class of 1954. She then attended Iowa State Teacher’s College in Cedar Falls for a short time.
On March 16, 1956, Janet married Arthur William Langbein at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in rural Sac City. This union was blessed with four children: Karla, Nancy, Laura, and Gary. Together they raised their family on Art’s family farm southwest of Sac City. Janet was a homemaker while her kids were still at home and later worked as a secretary at the local Farm Bureau office. When Janet was in her fifties, she decided to go back to school to obtain her teaching certificate. She attended Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, IA. Janet was then employed as a substitute teacher for several area school districts.
Janet was currently a member of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Lake View. Over the years, between St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Sac City, Immanuel Lutheran Church in Cook Township, and Emmanuel Lutheran, she served as a Sunday school teacher and was active in the Ladies Aid. She took part in the Orphan Grain Train, was a 4H leader for many years, and also enjoyed judging entries at the fair. Janet was interested in genealogy and served as a member of the local Genealogical Society. Janet was in the local garden club and was a Master Gardener.
She enjoyed life and all that it had to offer her. Traveling was something she always looked forward to doing and over the years she visited many states and countries. There was a fishing trip to Arkansas, trips to California and Virginia to visit her brother, and an ‘unforgettable’ road trip to Colorado she and Gary once took. Janet went to Scotland with her father, sister and a friend. She and Art also traveled abroad to Germany. She also took many trips over the years to different places with the Friendship Club. Art and Janet enjoyed an occasional dance at Lakewood Ballroom back in the day. The couple also took part in card clubs together.
Raising their family on the farm meant a lot of outdoor time and hard work. They raised chickens that she tended to, collecting eggs and also butchering/freezing. They had a very large garden that required everyone’s help to maintain. This of course meant a lot of time spent in the kitchen during late summer/early fall canning the harvest in order to fill the pantry for the winter. Janet was a great seamstress and also took part in the church quilting group. She liked planting flowers every spring and being outside tending to them and her yard.
Janet was certainly a woman of faith whose love and dedication to both church and family was evident. She was so proud of all of her children and grandchildren. Spending time with them meant the world to her. She will be dearly missed by all who knew and loved her.
Survivors include her children, Karla (Rod) Schneider, Nancy (Scott) Hunziker, Laura (Paul) Huth, and Gary Langbein; grandchildren: Eric (Jessica) Hunziker, Andy (Jill) Hunziker, Jason (Ashley) Hunziker, Nathan Hunziker, Heidi Hunziker, Nicole (Tim) Cohoon, Brandon Langbein, Joe Langbein, Michael Allner, and Holly (Jason) Wilshire; great-grandchildren: Breanna, Dakota, Addison, Makynli, Kolbe, Avery, Brody, Jeremiah, and Kaisen; sister Rhonda Kreft; many other extended family members and friends.
Janet was preceded in death by her parents, John and Elsie Kreft; husband Art Langbein; and brothers Robert Kreft and Delbert Kreft.
