Charles Kent "Chuck" DeWall

Hastings resident Charles Kent “Chuck” DeWall, 76, passed away Monday, March 3, 2025, at Mary Lanning Healthcare, Hastings, NE.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Monday, March 10, at First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Hastings with Pastor Joel Remmers officiating. Private family burial will be at Parkview Cemetery in Hastings. Visitation will be 1-5 p.m. with the family present 3-5 p.m. Sunday, March 9, at the funeral home, and one hour before the service at the church. Memorials may be given to the family for a memorial to be established at a later date. The service will be live-streamed on Livingston Butler Volland Funeral Home’s website. To view the service, go to Chuck’s obituary and click the play button shown towards the bottom of the page. 

Chuck was born on May 3, 1948, to Lou and Gretchen DeWall in Watertown, SD. He had three older siblings–Dean, Lou Ann, and Carol–and one younger one, Gretchen. As a child, Chuck was jolly, inquisitive, and playful, and showed a natural proclivity for music.

In 1970, Chuck met Beverly “Bev” Greenwall; they were married less than nine months later, on August 22, 1971. After graduating with a degree in choral conducting from Yankton College Conservatory of Music, Chuck spent the first few years of his teaching career in Creighton, NE. While in Creighton, Chuck and Bev welcomed their first two children: Erica in 1976 and Nichole in 1978. Then, after moving to Watertown, SD, their son Nathan was born in 1979. Chuck was a kind and supportive father and especially loved to make music with his family.

In 1989, Chuck and his family settled in Hastings, NE. Chuck served as director of choirs at First St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and taught choral music at Hastings Senior High for 18 years before retiring in 2007. He adored teaching and found great meaning and purpose in sharing his love of choral singing with generations of students.

Bev and Chuck enjoyed a loving marriage for nearly 40 years before Bev’s death in 2011.

In 2013, Chuck met Jiangyi “Jenny” Jhou of Yichang City, China; they were married on August 18, 2014. Chuck and Jenny loved to garden, ride bikes, study for Jenny’s American citizenship exams, and cook together. Jenny’s infectious laugh and constant devotion to Chuck brought immense joy to the last decade of his life.

Chuck was preceded in death by his parents and first wife, Beverly DeWall.

Chuck is survived by his wife, Jenny; children, Erica, Nichole, and Nathan; children-in-law, Brian Corner, Alice DeWall, and Brian Pezza; grandchildren, Lilly, Graham, James, Helen, Beverly, and Ellis; and sisters, Lou Ann and Gretchen.