Cal Muller

Calvin Lewis Muller was born on October 26th, 1942 in Waterloo, Iowa to Klaas and Carrie Finke Muller. He died at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines on October 3rd, 2023, at the age of 80 years.

While growing up, Cal lived with his family on various farms near Dike and Parkersburg, and graduated from Dike High School in 1961. Cal attended Iowa State Teachers College/State College of Iowa, now known as the University of Northern Iowa, graduating with a teaching degree in 1965. He completed his master of arts degree at UNI in 1966.  Following graduation, Cal accepted a teaching position in Humboldt, and taught at Humboldt High School for 37 years, retiring in 2003. He will be remembered as ‘Econ Cal’ by many students, as economics was his favorite class, but over the years he taught many courses in the social studies department as well as some English classes. While teaching was his real interest, he also spent many summers painting classrooms and facilities with the janitorial crews of the Humboldt school district and truly enjoyed that part of his life. He was a man of few material wants, strove to be an environmentalist well before that became a thing to do, and wanted to leave as small a ‘carbon footprint’ on the world as possible. It was important to him that he try to live up to what he taught in his classes.

In 1969, he married Evelyn Kay Gosch, and they lived in Humboldt for over 50 years. They were parents to one daughter, Ann. In 2019, Cal and Kay moved to Norwalk, Iowa to be near Annie and her family.  Cal was an active member of the Humboldt Congregational United Church of Christ, and a 40-year member of the Humboldt Lions Club. He was also a life member of both the ISEA and NEA.

Cal is survived by his wife Kay of Norwalk; his daughter Annie and her husband Jason Williamson of Norwalk; and grandchildren Carter Tracy of Ames, Hayley Tracy of Iowa City, Aubrey Williamson of Cedar Falls, and Olivia Williamson of Ames. He is also survived by his sister Eunice McMillin of Elkader, and her children Denise Shaffer and husband Kyle and family of Ham Lake, Minnesota; and Tim McMillin and partner Seth Robb of Des Moines.

Cal is also survived by brothers-in-law Donald Peterson of Holstein, and Jerry Gosch and wife Dee of Terril. He will be remembered by seven additional nieces and nephews, along with their spouses and families; special cousins and their families; and other relatives and dear friends.  Cal was preceded in death by his parents Klaas and Carrie Muller, a nephew Bradley McMillin, his sisters-in-law Betty Sanders and Jeanette Peterson, a niece Marcia Loucks, and many other family members.

Visitation for Cal will be held on Friday, October 20th from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at the Mason-Lindhart Funeral and Cremation Service in Humboldt.  A Celebration of Life Service for Cal will be held on Saturday, October 21st at 10:30 a.m., at the Congregational United Church of Christ in Humboldt.  Private family burial will be in Union Cemetery, Humboldt.   www.masonlindhart.com