Glenn Wendland

Glenn was born on September 7, 1951, to Ernest and Luella (Hockemeier) Wendland. He grew up on a working farm in Rockwell City, Iowa and graduated from Rockwell City High School. As a teenager, he was a curious, voracious reader with special interests in religion, philosophy, and wildlife. He began his electrical work apprenticeship in his mid-20s and became a lineman, a career he loved that allowed him to use both his intelligence and physical strength, as well as satisfy his love of daring heights. Glenn was a proud member of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and was a passionate believer in the importance of workers’ rights. A hard worker with the utmost integrity, he accepted nearly every call-out he received, and was dubbed “Idaho” by his co-workers because with his overtime hours he “soaked up all the gravy.”

Glenn met and fell in love with Cheryl Kay Sorlie in 1977 when he was a journeyman in Alcester, South Dakota. They married in 1978 and had two children, Levi and Beth. Glenn was an endlessly patient, accepting, and gentle husband and father whose love for his family drove everything he did. He was a mellow presence during family squabbles and childhood strife, mediating arguments one minute and calmly explaining middle-school algebra the next. When he wasn’t working, he spent his time walking his well-cared for dogs (Tassie, later Raven), stopping to chat with neighbors and acquaintances along the way. As a lover of the outdoors and a conscientious citizen, he often picked up litter around his neighborhood on these walks. Later in life when his son Levi had children of his own, Glenn showered his grandchildren with hugs, time, and attention. He spent countless hours with them, fishing with his first grandson Brady, riding bikes with his granddaughter Chloe, and digging in the dirt with his second grandson Chance.

Glenn is survived by his wife, Cheryl Wendland; son Levi Wendland; daughter Beth Wendland and son-in-law Lucas Hawk; grandchildren Brady Wendland, Chloe Wendland, and Chanceller Wendland; and his adoring, ever-present companion, his dog Raven.

He was preceded in death by his parents and by his brother Allen Dean Wendland.

Glenn will be remembered and missed, by his family and everyone who knew him, for his kind heart.