Charles C. Liljedahl

Chuck passed away on Thursday evening, February 13, 2020 at Windsor Manor in Shenandoah. Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday morning at St. John's Lutheran Church in Essex. Burial will follow in the Essex Cemetery. The family will greet friends at the funeral home on Monday evening from 5:00 until 7:00 p.m. Memorials may be directed to St. John's Lutheran Church or Page County 4-H Endowment Fund. Charles Clyde Liljedahl was born on November 22, 1928 in Essex, Iowa. He was the fourth of five children of Harry and Ona Martha (Parker) Liljedahl. Charles grew up in Essex, attending school there until June of 1944 when his parents moved to Phoenix, AZ due to his father's declining health. He attended his junior year of high school in Phoenix and decided to move back to Iowa. He graduated with the Essex Class of 1946. During his final year of high school he lived and worked with his sister Meralyn (Liljedahl) and Alfred Swenson and Virgil and Marian Rydberg. Following the flood of Porters Lake in 1947, he helped his sister and brother-in-law rebuild the skating rink, laying 2" boards around the 100 yard rink floor. During the summer of 1948 he wo...[more]

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d in the Coin, IA area during the harvest season. He returned to the Essex area and was a farm hand for Lawrence Liljedahl. On December 3, 1950 he was married to Eileen Peterson of Stanton at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Red Oak, Iowa. Following their wedding, they took a trip to Arizona so he could introduce his new bride to his parents. After returning from Arizona, Charles was inducted into the U.S. Army at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin. His initial draft was for 21 months but was stretched to 24 months. Exactly two years later he was discharged. He returned to Essex in 1952 and worked for Frank Johnson the following two years earning his wages in eggs and a milking cow. In 1955, he began renting ground from Ruben Johnson and eventually purchased the Johnson home where his family was raised and continues to be the "home place" of Lijedahl Farms, Inc. Charles and Eileen enjoyed traveling and visiting family for many years. The highlight of their travels was an Alaskan Cruise to celebrate their 50th Anniversary with her sisters and brother-in-law; Tom and Jewel Wegs and Harriett Peterson. Charles was a member of St. John's Lutheran Church in Essex where he served in many committees, he was a 4-H leaders and was an active Farm Bureau member. Charles and Eileen celebrated 52 years of marriage. Eileen passed away on January 14, 2002. On December 28, 2007, Charles and Eleanore Diderickson were married. Eleanor passed away 10 years later on January 30, 2017. Charles is preceded in death by his parents; wife Eileen, two brothers, Elvin and Ermal; two sisters; Meralyn and Maida; mother and father-in-law; Carl G. and Hattie Peterson; brothers-in-law Alfred Swenson, Mike Comon and Russell Stevenson; and his second wife Eleanore. On October 1, 2017, Charles became a resident of Windsor Manor in Shenandoah where he enjoyed many new friendships. He especially looked forward to the visits from his great-grandchildren, family and friends. He is survived by his son: Dennis (Diane) Liljedahl of Essex; daughter; Sandra (Mark) Haynes of Denison; grandchildren; Tricia Haynes, Lytton, IA, Andrew (Candice) Liljedahl of Essex, Tiffany (Jeff) Reed, Wichita, KS, Abbey (Justin) Noon, Olathe, KS; great-grandchildren; Lilly Elizabeth and Sienna Eileen Haynes, Charlee Kay Reed, Parker Charles Liljedahl, Piper Lee Liljedahl, Jack Carson Noon and Graham Atticus Noon; sisters-in-law; Lois Stevenson, Harriett Peterson and Jewel (Tom) Wegs; many nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.