Dr. John C. Garland

Dr. John C. Garland, 95, of Marshalltown, IA passed away Thursday, February 2, 2017, at the Iowa Veterans Home: in Marshalltown. Online condolences may be sent to www.andersonfhs.com. By the age of 16, he had hitchhiked to both the East and West Coasts to visit relatives. John attended Marshalltown Junior college and received his undergraduate degree and medical degree from the University of Iowa. He served in the U.S. Navy. John met the love of his life, Kathleen (Kay) Marie Kaser, when they were both undergrads at University of Iowa. They married on September 24, 1944 in Adel, Iowa. John interned at Augustana Veteran Hospital in Chicago in 1945-46 in surgery and OB-GYN. An avid Cubs fan, he and Kay attended game seven of the 1945 World Series. John finished his duty with the Navy at Hot Springs, SD at the Veterans Hospital there and then returned to Marshalltown, where he spent the rest of his life. He and Kay built their home on Church Street. He set up his own family practice and was instrumental in establishing mental health services in Marshalltown. John was a lifelong member of the First Congregationa...[more]

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hurch and served in the Lions Club. He enjoyed playing cards at the Elks Club and golf at the Elmwood Country Club and American Legion. He loved practicing medicine, managing the farm, in conjunction with 3 generations of the Oaks family, investing, and reading journals for all three ventures. He loved watching the Iowa Hawkeyes and Cyclones and the Chicago Cubs and lived to see the Cubs finally win the World Series. His four children especially remember the family vacations that their Dad arranged. He would pack up the family station wagon and take the family on a three week tour. Over the years, they saw most of lower 48 states. John and his wife Kay also traveled extensively to Europe, Panama, South America, The Greek Islands, New Zealand, Hawaii, the Bahamas, and China. John was also an avid fisherman and went on yearly trips with his fishing buddies to Lake Sabourin in Canada or to Alaska. In retirement John and Kay established a scholarship at the University of Iowa, specifically for young mothers. He had been raised by his mother and brothers and realized the challenges faced by young women trying to get an education. He delivered for Meals on Wheels, drove the church van, and visited former patients in local nursing homes and the Veterans Home. The family would like to thank the staff of the Veterans Home for the kind, excellent care their father received while a resident his last few years. John always stressed the importance of three things: family, stewardship of the land, and education. He will be missed by his four children, Deborah Johnson of Juneau, AK; Jon Garland of Astoria, OR; Kathy Austin of Greeley, CO; and Robert Garland of Eustis, FL; grandchildren, Matthew Johnson, Noah Johnson, Tamara Garland, Myriah Junes, Amanda Gilbert, Todd Austin, Chad Austin, Steven Austin, and John Anthony Garland; also fourteen great- grandchildren, Lucas Johnson, Stella Johnson, William Johnson, Christopher Garland, Cheyanne Armstead, Heidi Junes, Wade Junes, Leah Junes, Jasmine Gilbert, Tiahna Austin, Tayah Austin, Lane Austin, Kaylee Austin and Aurora Garland.