Renate E. Langan

Renate E. Langan, 85, of Cedar Rapids, NE passed away Monday, December 8, 2025, at Bryan Medical Center West Campus, Lincoln, NE.

Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m., Friday, December 12, 2025, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church in Cedar Rapids, NE with Rev. Matt Gutowski officiating. Visitation will be an hour prior. Interment will follow at the parish cemetery.

Levander Funeral Home of Albion, NE is in charge of the arrangements.

Renate (Fröhlich) Langan, age 85, of Cedar Rapids, Nebraska, passed away on December 8, 2025. She was born on March 8, 1940, in Gensungen, Hessen, Germany, to Catarina and Karl Fröhlich. Renate trained as a registered nurse at the Red Cross Hospital (Rotes-Kreuz-Krankenhaus) in Kassel. In 1962, she married U.S. serviceman Gerald "Jerry" Langan after meeting him while he was stationed in Germany.

After moving to Nebraska, Renate dedicated herself to raising her family and became an active member of the Cedar Rapids community. Over the years, she worked as manager of the swimming pool, at the locker, and as a cook and paraeducator at the school. She shared her nursing experience in the care of Eddie Boyd after his accident and contributed her time cleaning City Hall, the senior center, and the lumberyard. Renate also volunteered with the library board and the Girl Scouts. Through her business, Renate's Creations, she crafted distinctive wax ornaments and dried-flower arrangements that were admired by many across the state.

Renate will be remembered for her proud German heritage and her passion for learning and the natural world—gifts she passed on to her children and to many others. She took regular walks with them along the Cedar River that echoed her childhood adventures with family in the forests of Germany. A devoted gardener, she grew both beautiful flowers and abundant vegetables. Whether through travel or a good book, Renate never lost her love of adventure and exploring new places.

She is survived by her children, Karen Langan (Peter Vandenberg), Randy Langan (Lisa), Renee Langan, and Jackie Langan (Dyonna Cannon); grandchildren Corinne Kolm (Josh Frank) and Sean Langan; nephew Marc Bourdy and his daughters, Maren and Sarah Bourdy; many Langan nieces and nephews; and special grandchildren Nyia Mitchell, Shakori Colen and Shanti Hubert.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jerry; her sister, Christa Bourdy; her half-brother, Walter Kranz; and her daughter, Marian Langan. Her college roommate, Annegret Wolf, always remained her dearest friend despite the miles between them.