Now We Can Call Him Dad

They decided to move onto Charlie's farm, and since the children would have to change schools, Alice and Charlie were married in January so the children could start attending their new school right after the semester break.

Alice laughed again as she reminisced, "We were getting ready for the wedding, and the kids were so excited. They all had new outfits to wear, and they were so busy getting dressed and putting on makeup that I finally told them 'Hey, I'm the bride here!'" As they were walking to the church hall after the ceremony, she heard one of them say, "Now we can call him Dad!"

Charlie and Alice acknowledged that their new life together was a challenge. Of course, the children thought their stepdad was too strict. He made them mind and he made them work. And every Sunday after church, the family spent time praying together at home. The children complained at the time, as children will, but as adults, every one of them goes to church and they all have strong faith in God. And not one of them regrets the hard work!

Eventually, Charlie and Alice retired from the farm and moved into town. They bought a big white-sided older home with plenty of room for grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Charlie was used to getting up early to milk cows, and after leaving the farm, he continued to rise before dawn. But each morning at 4:30 a.m., instead of milking, he unlocked Sacred Heart, Lost Nation's Catholic church, and prayed a Rosary with Father Bill. Then they both went "uptown" to the gas station where all the farmers gather each morning, for gossip and a cup of coffee.

"No big deal" 

When someone asked Charlie what would make him want to marry a woman with eleven children and become the instant stepdad of such a large family, he just shrugged and smiled. "No big deal," he insisted. "It seemed like the thing to do." And when people asked Alice, "What kind of man would even think of marrying a woman with so many kids?" Alice answered, "A pretty terrific man, with strong faith in God."

By their fortieth anniversary, Charlie and Alice were still together ... and still in love. Six months later, in July 2010, Charlie passed away peacefully in his sleep. He was ninety years old, and until the day he died, he was still helping one of his sons on the family farm—moving hay bales, weeding the garden—doing whatever chores needed to be done. He loved spending days at his niece JoAnne Horstmann's nearby farm, working with her in the vegetable garden or fishing in the pond behind her house. Three days before he died, he painted her white garden fence.

On Thanksgiving Day of that year, the family gathered in the big white farmhouse - fifty members strong—and before the blessing of their meal, they joined hands to make a huge circle. Then Alice asked each family member to relate something they'd learned from Charlie or share a special memory. Several of the boys mentioned how thankful they were that their stepdad had instilled in them such a strong work ethic. A daughter-in-law said Charlie had helped her get through a troubled time in her life, offering encouragement and support. Others reminisced about fishing trips, and how much he loved chocolate bars and ice cream cones.

Charlie Lasack was a man of few words and great faith, a man who thought loving and caring for eleven children was "no big deal"—a quiet man whose splendid legacy continues to grow.

Originally published in Celebrate Life magazine and reprinted with permission.