George Wesley Lancaster

George Wesley Lancaster, age 84, died at his home on May 7, 2008, losing a battle against lung cancer.

He was born on December 4, 1923, on the family farm north of Seney, Iowa to the late M. J. and Rosabelle Lancaster. He served in the Navy in World War II, leaving the service in June of 1946 at a rank of Yeoman Second Class. Mr. Lancaster earned a BS in Animal Science from Iowa State in 1950. At Iowa State he was a member of Farmhouse Fraternity and he participated in livestock judging teams. On April 9, 1950, he was married to Lucille May Pageler near Merrill, Iowa.

Mr. Lancaster worked as a farm hand at Edg-Clif Farms, as a tenant farmer near Blockton, Iowa, and he worked the Lancaster family farm near Seney until 1959. He started a career with Consumer Cooperative Association, later named Farmland Industries. He retired in 1988 as a management consultant working in the Kansas City, Missouri headquarters. A member of Gashland Presbyterian Church, faithfully teaching a Sunday school class for 10 years. Mr. Lancaster served in the Service Core of Retired Professional Executives (SCORE). His favorite activities included fishing, gardening, attending Elderhostels around the country and spending time with his grandchildren.

He is survived by his wife, Lucille, daughter Betsy Reese of Independence, Missouri; sons David and wife Mary Lou of Hillsboro, Kansas; Mark and wife Mary; Tom; and Chris and wife Lori, all of Kansas City; nine grandchildren, brothers William and wife Leona of Aurora, Missouri; Robert and wife Lois of LeMars, Iowa; sister Bonnie and husband Dean Shaw of Clarkfield, Minnesota; brother-in-law Ralph Anderson of Aurora, Illinois. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by brothers Edwin and Edgar; sister Evelyn Anderson and son-in-law Michael Reese.