I gave this eulogy at Chuck Streit's funeral at the United Methodist Church in Bern, KS on February 5, 2022. Chuck was the grandpa of my good friend, Nolan Schafer, and the father of my 3rd grade teacher, Dolly Schafer. It was Dolly who asked me to perform the music and write the eulogy.

Presenting this eulogy to a church filled with his family and friends was a true honor.

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Good morning, everyone,

My name is John Kanel. I’m a friend of the family, and it is my honor to stand before you today and eulogize a man who was so loved, respected, and admired by his community. 

These lines from the book of the prophet Isaiah, tell of the good fortune that will be given to God’s holy city. Isaiah tells of great wealth, prestige, and glory never before seen. Now I can’t say that kings and nations came to Chuck Streit or that the riches of the sea and immeasurable wealth befell him. No; rather, Chuck received even greater rewards throughout the course of his long life: the tangible love of his large, and devoted family; the joy that comes with knowing and loving 14 grandchildren, and 20 great-grandchildren; and the enduring love of his bride of nearly 60 years.

This long, amazing life began on June 12, 1927, when Charles Lindbergh Streit was born to Arnold and Mamie (Moser) Streit at their family farm east of Bern. Chuck was the eighth of their ten children. He attended Prairie Star Country School and Bern High School, graduating in 1945. During his time in high school, he drove a grain truck and picked up scrap metal for the war. After graduating, Chuck wanted to enter the Air Force and serve his country in World War II, but upon the return of his brothers, John and Ben, both survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor, Chuck stopped filling out the paperwork as his brothers urged their dad to not let him go. For the rest of his life, Chuck regretted the fact that he never got to serve his country as a member of the armed forces. Chuck would stay in the area and work on his father’s farm and on an oil rig north of Bern.

In 1950, Chuck was united in marriage to his high school classmate, Mary Jean Shepley on January 28th at the Evangelical United Brethren Church in Bern in a double wedding ceremony with dear friends, George and LaVonne Thieme. They made their home on the Shepley farm north of Bern where they raised their six children: Ann, Marylyn, Mavis, Marvin, Mel, and Dolly. Their door was always open to a seemingly endless number of family and friends who’d visit the farm, because as far as Chuck and Jean were concerned, “The more the merrier!” And it was in 1951, that Chuck and Jean – having just brought their first child into the world – decided that they needed some more help on the farm. Kenny, Roger, and Dave Kaster joined them on the farm, helping with chores both before and after school. The boys became such an integral part of life on the Streit farm, that Ann grew up believing they were her biological brothers. From this relationship sprung the Streit and Kaster Partnership in which Chuck and Roger produced row crop, cattle and hogs into the early 1980s when the partnership disbanded. It was in the 1970s that Chuck and Jean owned and operated the DuBois Bar where Jean’s reputation as a cook eventually led them to purchase the Bern Café which they ran throughout the 1980s. Around that time, Chuck and Jean moved to the dairy farm and worked with Mel for several years, operating the dairy. As their children will tell you, Chuck and Jean were quite the pair. Although they bickered and fought like married couples do, for either of them to imagine life without the other was unthinkable. Jean was the girl for Chuck, and Chuck was the boy for his Mary Jean.

When Chuck retired in the 1990s, he went to work for Camp Cornhusker, the Boy Scout Camp east of DuBois. He served as their caretaker for nearly 20 years, working till he was 90 years old. It was only when a tractor rolled on top of him that he finally retired for good. As a former Boy Scout, it was during this time of his life that I formed my first distinct memory of Chuck: it was toward the end of a long week of camping, and at our final meal, the Camp Director was recognizing members of the staff. With each staff member a couple words were said, and applause given. It was only when Chuck was called up that the room exploded with noise. It was clear that he was everyone’s favorite staff member. Of course, he didn’t go by “Chuck” at Camp Cornhusker; he went by “Chuckles”, the world’s happiest camper. 

It was also in the 1990s that Chuck brought to fruition one of his long-held dreams: to own and breed his own draft horses. With their team of Percheron horses, Chuck and Jean participated in many parades, weddings, and funerals over the course of their married life. As a matter of fact, they would travel to Lawrence, Kansas every year for twenty years to show their horses in the Annual Christmas Parade. Chuck, with his team of horses, even pulled the wedding party for one of his granddaughters, the wagon decked out in her bridal colors. And it was with a team of horses, that Chuck pulled his beloved bride, Jean, to her final resting place. Jean passed away in 2008 at the hands of multiple myeloma. They were married for 58 years. 

Chuck Streit was named after a man, known for his accomplishments: that famous aviator who made the first transatlantic flight. I believe Chuck will be remembered for his accomplishments, but they will appear small when compared to his generous spirit, his light-hearted nature, that signature smile and laugh, and his love of each passing day.

Chuck passed away peacefully in his sleep Tuesday, January 25, 2022, at the Apostolic Christian Home in Sabetha, Kansas having reached the age of 94. Per his request, Chuck’s body will be donated to science in the hope that they might finally discover why he lived so stinkin’ long. I’m sure he was grateful to leave this Earth when he did, for as he often said, “You know, when your 111, they won’t take you anymore.” So not only will Chuck finally get to go to college, but he finished his final exam here with plenty of time to spare. 

94 years is a long time. Over the course of his life, Chuck made it through the Dust Bowl, a handful of wars, economic crises, and serious personal loss. One such loss being the death of his daughter, Mavis, in 2016 after her long battle with colon cancer. He would always remark that it just wasn’t right that she should go before he did. But, as the prophet Isaiah reminds us, we have firm hope that his days of grieving are over, the light of the Lord will shine forever, and that their reunion was a joyous one. Over 94 years, Heaven only knows the number of tears shed, hugs shared, jokes told, smiles exchanged, and prayers whispered. I’m afraid that’s known only to God. But I do know that to Chuck Streit, age was a but a number. Hard work was a given. Beer was meant to be drank at room temperature. Retirement was a foreign concept. And life – even with all its ups and downs – was meant to be enjoyed. 

In closing, I’d like to turn briefly to St. Luke’s Gospel:

Chuck Streit was a humble man. A hard-working man. A joyful man. A kind man. A caring man. A good man. And it is my hope that we – gathered here today to honor his memory – may, in some small way, take upon ourselves a few of these qualities we loved so much about him, so that, when our own time comes, and we breathe our last on this good Earth, we too may enter our home justified.