Glenn E. Carley

Glenn Edward Carley, the oldest of eight children of Arthur Lewellen Carley and Lottie S. (Dye) Carley, was born in Silver Creek Township near Carson, Iowa on February 5, 1906. As a child, Glenn was always busy with chores and related work around his parent's home. At age five, Glenn was milking cows, helping feed stock and organizing the teams of horses for farm work. As he grew older, Glenn was permitted to take a more active role in the daily operation of the family farm. He attended country school near his home and then attended Macedonia High School. Glenn spent the years of 1927, 1928, and 1929 raising hogs and corn crops on his grandparent's farm.
Glenn returned to his parent's farm and in 1929, he married Mildred Shuck. Their marriage would be blessed with two children, Darlene Rose and Richard W. In 1933, Glenn purchased a farm west of Macedonia. When Darlene was 18, she was stricken with polio while working as a nursing student, and died a few months later.
Glenn and Eldora Maxine (Steele) Keast were married on June 12, 1966 and made their home on Glenn's farm. Glenn suffered a heart attack in 1983 and was forced to stop the physically demanding work of milking cows. Maxine bought some Angus breeding stock and got Glenn interested in developing a stock business. This turned out to be a great move for their farming operation as it allowed Glenn to continue in the agriculture business without over-taxing his health. While farming, Glenn experienced many changes and felt the transition from horses to tractors was a comfortable switch for him, as a horse just couldn't do as much work as a tractor.
In 1990, Glenn and Maxine moved to a home in Oakland and Glenn eventually retired from his responsibilities in the community. He had served his community, churches, and neighborhood well. He was a past member of the Pottawattamie County Soil Conservation Board and a member of Farm Bureau. He served as chairman of the Macedonia Cemetery Board of Trustees for many years, a job which was passed down from his father and grandfather. He was a member of the Odd Fellows Lodge in Macedonia and the Coral Masonic Lodge No. 430 in Carson. He had been a board member, trustee, and Sunday school teacher for the Macedonia United Methodist Church. Glenn and Maxine enjoyed making music with the senior citizen Hot Shot Band where Glenn played the drums.
Glenn and Maxine had been married for 33 years when Maxine died on April 3, 2000. Failing health would eventually force Glenn to move to the Oakland Manor Care Center where he continued to enjoy the friendship of residents and staff, and visits from his family and friends.
Glenn died on August 30, 2004 at Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa, at the age of 98 years, 6 months, and 25 days. He was preceded in death by his wife Mildred and wife Maxine and daughter Darlene, his parents and sisters Nina Thomas, Marie Kayton, and Lorraine Norton. Glenn is survived by his son Richard Carley and his wife Jeanne of Altha, FL; stepsons Gary Keast and his wife Carol of Des Moines, IA and Charles Keast of Corte Madera, CA; brothers Howard Carley of Kewanee, IL, Marion Carley of Council Bluffs, IA, and Ernest Carley of Carson, IA; sister Gertrude Ensign of Arlington, VA; grandchildren and great grandchildren; nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.