Charles Franklin Carlson

Lt. Col. (Ret.) Charles F. Carlson, 76, of Humboldt, passed away July 15, 2016 at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. Funeral services will be 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at the Faith United Methodist Church in Humboldt. Burial will be in Union Cemetery, Humboldt with full military rites by Adams American Legion Post 119 and Sathers-Odgaard VFW Post 5240. Visitation with the family will be from 4-7 p.m. Monday at the church. The Mason-Lindhart Funeral Home in Humboldt assisting the family.
Charles “Chuck” Franklin Carlson, the son of Axel Oscar and Marie LaVerne (Owens) Carlson, was born on December 28, 1939 in Klamath Falls, Oregon. He passed away suddenly on Friday, July 15, 2016 at the Humboldt County Memorial Hospital. Charles graduated from Klamath Falls High School and went on to earn a college degree from Southern Oregon College. Upon completion of college, he entered the United States Air Force as a second lieutenant and served his country for over twenty-one years. Lt. Colonel Carlson retired from the Air Force in 1983. He was very proud of his country, his family and he was of strong faith.
Charles was united in marriage to Mary Kathryne Lockwood on July 11, 1964 at the Methodist Church in Humboldt, Iowa. The couple lived in various states as Charles served in the United States Air Force. He served at Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai Air Force Base, Thailand during the Viet Nam conflict and also served a year at Incirlik, Turkey. Upon his retirement from the military in 1983, the couple settled in Humboldt with their two children. Upon retiring from the Air Force, he went back to college and earned a degree from Buena Vista University.
Over the years, Charles worked for Farm Bureau Insurance, Humboldt Chamber of Commerce, was part of the Humboldt Tourism Board, and worked for Jet Company. He was also a member of the city water board for many years. He retired in 2001, then enjoyed traveling with Mary “working” towards their goal of seeing all fifty states, they made it to forty-nine while enjoying their family and friends along the way.
Charles was a member of the Faith United Methodist Church, where he served as the Administrative Council Chairperson. He was also a member of the Noon Kiwanis, Air Force Association, the American Legion, and the VFW. Christmasland was something he loved working on each year and it became a family tradition. Charles was an avid history buff and enjoyed visiting historical locations. Charles loved and was very proud of his family, his wife Mary, son and daughter-in-law Charles Michael “Mike” and Paula (Dornath) Carlson of Urbandale; daughter Susan Carlson of Humboldt; granddaughter and grandson-in-law Megan (Carlson) and Wade Scholten of Johnston; grandson Benjamin Carlson of Urbandale, grandson Tyler Carlson of Urbandale, his sister and brother-in-law Helen (Carlson) and Jon Neimand of Eugene, Oregon, and sister-in-law, Diane Lockwood of Ottumwa. He was preceded in death by his parents, Axel and Marie Carlson, in-laws Harold and Velma Lockwood, and brother-in-law, Larry Lockwood.