David “Dave” Wayne Langen, 68, of Kennedy, MN, passed away on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, surrounded by family. He was born on April 3, 1958, in Minneapolis, MN, to Wayne and Geraldine Langen. Dave graduated from North Dakota State University and worked as a farmer for over 35 years. While our hearts are heavy, we find comfort in knowing he is reunited with the love of his life, Char, and is finally at peace. 

About a month before he passed, Dave was asked if he had any wishes for his funeral or special requests once he passed away. The conversation went something along these lines: 

“Do you have any wishes or anything you would want funeral-wise?"

Without missing a beat, Dave responded, “Nope! That sounds like your problem.” 

If there was ever a sentence that summed him up, that was it. 

Dave was blunt, stubborn, and had a dry sense of humor that could catch anyone completely off guard. He wasn’t one to sugarcoat much, and if you asked for his opinion, you were almost certainly going to get it...whether you wanted it or not. 

Dave spent his life farming alongside his father, uncle, brother, cousins, and son. In a sense, the fields were home, and the work reflected the kind of man he was: strong, dependable, and hardworking. 

Although farming was his livelihood, nothing made Dave prouder than his family. He rarely missed one of his kids’ sporting events and faithfully documented them with what seemed like an endless collection of video cameras and tapes. Somewhere in those recordings is all the proof you’ll ever need that one of his kids had a basketball career worth bragging about just a little more than the other two. (LOL.) Following Ashley’s basketball teams all over the country with Char was one of the things that Dave enjoyed the most. Together, they spent countless weekends on the road, cheering from the stands (and even getting kicked out of a game once or twice), making memories, and enjoying every mile they traveled together. 

In the summer months, Dave enjoyed playing in the men’s adult softball league. He played for the team of Kennedy and even ran the local league for some years. 

During the hunting season, there was a good chance you could find Dave at the cabin. He loved hunting, but not necessarily because he always came home with a nice deer. Sometimes the best hunting stories had little to do with hunting at all, but rather the company that he spent that time with.

Dave also loved a good game of cards. Winning was important. Perhaps important enough to occasionally “bend” the rules when he thought no one was looking. Sitting at the game table with him meant keeping an eye on your own hand, and maybe one on Dave, too. 

Dave also had a few opinions that simply were not open for discussion: 

     1. The fridge always needed to be stocked with Diet Mountain Dew. That was a non-negotiable.

     2. A Caramel Turtle Pecan Cluster Blizzard from Dairy Queen was one of life’s greatest pleasures, but ONLY if it was a size large.              Anything smaller was clear evidence that someone was trying to skimp him out of ice cream.

     3. And leftovers? Those belonged to someone else. Yesterday’s meal had already had its chance.

As much as he loved those simple pleasures, nothing brought Dave more joy than being a grandpa. He loved all of his grandchildren beyond words, teased them profusely, and treasured every moment he spent with them, even if he did have to “rest his eyes” for a couple of extra minutes when he was in their presence. 

Those who knew Dave will miss his quick wit, his unmistakable honesty, his sarcastic comments, and the countless stories he gave us to tell. We know we’ll think of him every time someone cracks a Diet Mountain Dew, orders a DQ blizzard that’s too small, refuses leftovers, tries to get away with cheating at cards, or mutters, “Yeah, really?”. But most of all, we’ll miss him. 

Rest easy, Dave, and give Char a hug from all of us.

We’ll take it from here, because, as you told us, that’s our problem now. 

Dave is survived by his three children, Ashley (Brady) Stevens, Kyle (Taylor) Langen, and Whitney (Ben) Wendt; his seven grandchildren, August, Barrett, Bodhi, Charlotte, Declan, Loghan, and Rylee; and his siblings, Barry (Kristi) Langen, Jana (Gerald) Stockham, James (Tamara) Langen, and Mike (Natalie) Langen. He was preceded in death by his wife, Charlene (Abele) Langen, and his parents, Wayne and Geraldine (Johnson) Langen. 

His funeral service will be held at Red River Church in Kennedy on August 8, 2026, at 11:00 am with a visitation starting at 10:00 am. In place of flowers, please donate to the Huntington's Disease Society of America.