The Celebration of Life for Joseph “Joe” Lang will be 3:00 p.m. Wednesday, February 15, 2023 at St. John de Britton. Rev. Fr. Albert Cizewski will officiate the service.
Visitation will be 6:008:00 p.m. Tuesday, February 14, 2023 at the Price Funeral Chapel in Britton.
Joseph Paul “Joe” Lang, age 54, passed away peacefully at home February 9, 2023, after a four year battle with a rare brain cancer called glioblastoma. He was surrounded in love by his loving wife Sonya, two devoted sons, Jim and Chad and his beloved four-legged friends.
Joe was born November 4, 1968, to James John and Carrie Jean (Waba) Lang in Pierre, SD. In 1971, Joe became a big brother to his only sibling Natasha Rhea (Lang) Enevoldsen. Joe was introduced to the great outdoors early in life. Growing up is SD, time was spent camping, boating, skiing, summer vacationing and hunting with longtime family friends Bob / Mickey Gefre and their son Scott Gefre.
Joe was a 1987 graduate of Roncalli High School and proudly served in the Army Reserves. Joe attended the University of South Dakota, majoring in English. In 1991, Joe’s Army Reserve Unit was deployed to Iraq and he spent a year in Saudi Arabia serving in Desert Storm.
Upon returning home from deployment, Joe started working full-time for Metz Baking. While employed for Metz Baking, Joe met his future wife Sonya and his “brother”/best friend Chad Wilkie. Joe and Sonya were married June 21, 1996. A year to the day later Joe was best man in Chad and Lyrita Wilkies wedding. He always joked that being married on the same date as his best friend was the only way they would each able to remember their anniversary.
In 1998, Joe and Sonya were blessed with the birth of their first son, James John “Jim” Lang. And in 2000, they were blessed with their youngest son Chad Carlyle Lang.
Joe loved fishing, hunting, hiking and sitting around a bonfire having beers with family and friends. Joe shared his love of the outdoors with his two sons, Jim and Chad. Joe and his boys spent many Novembers West River deer hunting with Tom Wilkie, Chad Wilkie and Chad’s sons Hunter and Cole at Smokoffs Hunting Lodge in Bennett County. Joe also had a passion for grilling and organized the annual Harvest Days 4H Rib Cookoff. Nothing compared to the excitement Joe felt while organizing, competing, and winning in these cookoffs. You could smell ribs slow cooking for hours before each Cookoff.
Joe is survived by his wife Sonya, his two sons Jim and Chad Lang, his sister Tasha Lang Enevoldsen, his mother- in-law Twila Schmidt, two Brother-in-laws Kelly (Dani) Schmidt, Randy Schmidt, two Sister-in-laws LeAnn (Clinton) Rolland and LaVonn (Patrick) Avila, 5 nieces, 4 nephews, cousins and the friends he met through his jobs and 4H rib cookoffs. He was preceded in death by his parents Jim and Carrie (Waba) Lang, his fatherin- law Duane Schmidt, his God Parents Bob and Mickey Gefre and longtime family friend Carlyle “Crock” Eman.
Condolences maybe directed to the family in care of Sonya Lang – PO Box 54 – Britton, SD 57430.
An online guestbook and obituary is available at www.pricefuneralchapel.net.
