Charles "Chuck" Leroy Kline

Charles “Chuck” Leroy Kline, the son of Van and Myrtle Irene (Griffin) Kline, was born November 10, 1933, at his parents’ home in Exira, Iowa and died April 5, 2022, at the Hansen House in Harlan, Iowa at the age of 88 years, 4 months, and 26 days.

Charles was baptized at the Federated Church in Exira. He attended the Exira Community Schools graduating with the High School Class of 1952. During high school, Chuck participated in football, basketball, and baseball where he was the pitcher. They made the state baseball tournament all four years he played and won the state title his senior year. After high school, he attended Iowa State Teachers College for a semester before enlisting into the United States Marine Corp on January 6, 1954. He was honorably discharged on January 5, 1956.

On April 3, 1954, he was united in marriage to Phyllis Buttler at the Exira Christian Church in Exira. They were blessed with three children: Ann Marie, Charles Van, and David Michael. They lived in San Diego and Camp Pendleton, California for two years while Chuck was serving in the military. After his discharge, they moved back to Exira, Iowa for a short time before moving to Cedar Falls, Iowa. He attended the University of Northern Iowa receiving his Bachelor’s Degree in Education in 1959. He began teaching in La Porte City, Iowa and also taught in Bayard, Marengo, and Harlan. During his years of teaching, he taught middle school and high school science along with Driver’s Education for 34 years before retiring in 1993. Chuck also coached football, basketball, baseball, and track for several years while teaching and enjoyed refereeing football games.

Charles was a member of First United Methodist Church in Harlan. He was an active Freemason and belonged to the Exodus Lodge #342, A.F. and A.M. in Exira for 62 years. He was a long time member of the American Legion Ballou Post #332 in Exira and a member of the National Education Association. Chuck was one to always keep busy and he loved to spend time maintaining his acreage west of Exira. He enjoyed collecting stamps and could often find him playing cards especially hearts, spades and cribbage being a few of his favorites.

Preceding him in death was his parents; his infant brother Van Allen Kline; his brother-in-law Kenneth Hugh and wife Arliss Buttler; and his nieces and nephews: Trudy Patterson, Tim Wilson, Stacey Esbeck, Sheri Rush, LeAnn Lester, and Greg Kline.

Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Phyllis Kline of Harlan, Iowa; his children: Ann Marie and husband Randy Doran of Harlan; Charles “Chaz” Van and wife Jean Kline and David Michael and wife Deborah Kline all of Omaha, Nebraska; his grandchildren: Randy Doran II of Spearfish, South Dakota, Katelynn Doran and fiancé Adam Reinert of West Des Moines, Iowa, Ryan Doran of Joplin, Missouri, Samuel and wife Lindsay Kline of West Des Moines, Michael Kracher of Denver, Colorado, Jacob Kline, Alexis Kline, David Kline II, Dawson Kline, Ava Kline, and Drew Kline all of Omaha; his great grandson David Kline III; his brothers and sisters: Beverly and husband Carl Olsen of Exira, Iowa, Jerry and wife Eloyce Kline of Griswold, Iowa, Gary and wife Barbara Kline of Bismarck, North Dakota, and Connie and husband Glenn Esbeck of Exira; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

The family will greet friends on Sunday, April 10, 2022, from 5:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. with a Masonic Service held at 6:00 P.M. at the Kessler Funeral Home in Exira, Iowa. Funeral services will be conducted by Pastor Glen Meyers on Monday, April 11, 2022 at 10:30 A.M. at the Exira Christian Church in Exira. A private family inurnment will be held in the Exira Cemetery in Exira at a later date. The honorary casket bearers will be his granddaughters: Katelynn Doran, Alexis Kline, and Ava Kline. The casket bearers will be his grandsons: Randy Doran II, Samuel Kline, Michael Kracher, David Kline II, Ryan Doran, Dawson Kline, Jacob Kline, and Drew Kline. The family prefers memorials to the Hansen House in Harlan, Iowa or St. Croix Hospice.