Charles W. Lane

Charles Wallace Lane, 87, of Meridian, Idaho, died peacefully in his sleep Sunday, April 19, 2009.

To honor his wishes, he was cremated and no funeral services will be held. Chuck, a retired U.S.G.S Hydrologist, was born Oct. 27, 1921, in Muskogee, Okla., the third of five children of Hattie C. and Albon A. Lane.

He grew up in Muskogee and attended Muskogee Junior College for two years before being employed by Boeing Airplane Company in Wichita, Kan., as a tool designer.

He enlisted in the Army Air Corps in 1942 where he became a B-17 pilot and proudly served his country in the European Theatre of War.

Upon discharge from the service, he earned a degree in geology from Kansas State University. He was employed by the U.S, Geological Survey until his retirement in 1976.

He married Marian L. Lang in 1949. Their first home was in Iowa City, Iowa, where their two children were born.

His U.S.G.S. service took him to Lawrence, Kan., Billings and Helena, Mont., and Denver, Colo.. During the last 15 years with the Survey, he served as supervisor of the agencies water resource programs in Montana and Kansas. Upon retirement, he and Marian moved to Mountain Home, Idaho, where they lived for 30 years.

He enjoyed camping, fishing, and was a skilled woodworker and stain-glass artist.

In 2006, he and Marian moved to Meridian, Idaho.

He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Marian, his two children Charles A. and Margaret L. Lane, his daughter-in-law Valerie, grandchildren Kimberly, Brandon, and Brianna Lane, and two sisters Almeida Oliver and Clarice Turney, brother-in-law Maurice Turney, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma.

Arrangements are under the direction of Cremation Society of Idaho.