Charlene R. Hegland

HIAWATHA, IOWA - Charlene R. Hegland, 57, of Hiawatha, Iowa, departed for her next journey on Friday, February 27, at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, MN. Though her loved ones know her work here was not done, they have no doubt this spirited woman will continue to make an impact from Heaven. She is survived by her beloved husband, Paul; mother, Maxine Naber of Houston, MN; four children: Traci (David) Bunch of The Woodlands, TX, Brandon Hegland of Denver, CO, Shauna (Andrew) Rosenow of LaCrosse, WI, and Brooke Hegland of Hiawatha, IA; seven grandchildren: Kayla, Andrew, Joseph, Samuel, Dane, Jonathon, and Theo; four brothers: Marvin (Judy) Naber of Monroe, Iowa, Ivan (Gail) Naber of Buffalo City, WI, Ron (Marcia) Naber of Houston, MN, and Harold (Mary) Naber of Money Creek, MN; two sisters: Norma Gregory of California, and Shirley Jackson of England; and numerous nieces, nephews, and a huge caring network of friends and family throughout the world. She was preceded in death by her father, Orville Naber, her father and mother-in-law, John and Ardell Hegland, and her special niece, Trisha Gregory. A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 pm on Saturday, March 7, 2009 at St. Marks Lutheran Church 8300 C Ave. NE Cedar Rapids, IA, with the Rev. Lane Zaffke of Houston, MN officiating. Char was born on July 7, 1951, in Sumner, Iowa to Orville and Maxine (Christopherson) Naber. She graduated from Houston High School, MN, in 1969 and was united in marriage to her high school sweetheart and love of her life, Paul Hegland, on August 16, 1969. The couple moved to Hiawatha, Iowa in 1974 and built their lives together there. Char was a natural with children and took great pride in raising her own, spoiling her grandchildren, and being like a mother and mentor to countless others. She worked at McLeod Academy and Summit Schools as an operations manager where she was affectionately known by many as "the heart of the school", and most recently at Rockwell Collins as a senior administrative assistant. It did not take her long to become the "go to" person at each place she worked, just as she has always been to her family and friends. She always had a ready solution to any problem and knew just how to get things done where others dared not tread. Char was the creative brains behind her husband's custom cobbling, and together they made the perfect team. She had a passion for traveling and shared that joy by leading five groups of students on trips to Australia and traveling the world with her family and friends. She had a great love of life and for people, and with her wonderful sense of humor, never missed an opportunity to laugh with others. Char helped so many and made an impact on their lives for the better. She will be sincerely missed by all who knew her. Online Condolences may be made at www.caringbridge.org "charlenehegland" In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made out to the Charlene Hegland Memorial Fund. Details of how these donations are used in her memory will be posted on the Caring Bridge website. The family would like to thank the many angels on Earth who helped Char and her family over the last several months, and we encourage everyone to honor Char's memory by living the life out of their days, just as she always did.