Charles "Chuck" Vestal, 83

Charles E. “Chuck” Vestal, 83, Emerson, passed away Saturday, May 16, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Society in Red Oak.
Chuck, also known as Charlie, was born Oct. 27, 1942, in Emerson, the son of Paul and Alberta “Sophie” (Cairns) Vestal. He graduated from Emerson High School and attended a trade school where he earned certification as a Ham Operator.
Charlie was united in marriage to Patricia Reynolds on Jan. 27, 1962, in Elliott. Through the years Charlie worked at Campbell’s Soup in Omaha, was a Ham Radio operator in Garland, Texas, and worked for Texas Instruments before moving back to Iowa to help on the family farm. He started farming on his own, and Charles and Pat bought their current home farm in 1963. His hobbies included square dancing, bowling, and restoring old cars and tractors, and he was especially fond of his ’56 Chevy. He was very involved in the Emerson area community being on the school board at Nishna Valley twice, a longtime 4-H volunteer, and board member of the Indian Creek Museum. Charlie and Pat received the Century Farm Landowner Award at the Iowa State Fair in 2025. Most notably, Charlie was the self-proclaimed, “Nicest guy in Mills County”.
Preceding him in death were his parents; his wife, Patricia Vestal; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Silas and Mable Reynolds; his son, Brent Vestal; his sister, Betty Howard; his brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Lucile Reynolds, Ed and Frances Reynolds, Caroline and Jim Hicks, Lyle and Mary Reynolds, Gail Reynolds, Elmer Reynolds, David “Butch” Reynolds, Denny and Cheryl Reynolds; Dick Milner; Everett Howard, and Mary Reynolds.
Survivors include his daughters, Teresa Euken and husband Mark of Red Oak, and Brooke Thielen and husband Jeff of Glenwood; grandchildren, Whitney Grubbs of Council Bluffs; Bradley Euken and fiancé Caitlin Sifuentes of Chicago, Ill.; Austin Thielen of Asheville, N.C.; Aiden Thielen of Council Bluffs; Alek Thielen and fiancé Sydney Melby of Council Bluffs; Trenton Funk of Omaha, Neb.; Kylie Richardson of Council Bluffs; Cooper Thielen of Glenwood; Lance Vestal of Red Oak; Corey Vestal and wife Tasha of Red Oak; Michael Smith and wife Amy of Oakland; James Smith and wife Nikki of Florida; and Steven Smith of Red Oak; brother-in-law, Les Reynolds of Omaha, Neb.; sisters-in-law, Karen Milner and Janis Reynolds of Omaha, Neb.; and many other relatives and friends.
A celebration of life service was held Thursday, May 21, 2026, at the LeRette Funeral Chapel, at 525 E. Ratliff Rd. in Red Oak. Burial was in the Emerson Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Indian Creek Museum.
LeRette Funeral Chapel is in charge of arrangements.