Our History
Langkamp Funeral Chapel and Crematory is one of the longest surviving service businesses in our community. In 1866, J.B. McCurdy first established J.B. McCurdy & Co. Furniture and Undertaking to provide funeral care to the Oskaloosa and Mahaska County area. In 1905, J.B. moved into a new facility on North 1st Street, the present site of the Mahaska County Outreach. I.H. Garland, Howard Wilcox, and Fred Wilbur purchased the funeral home from J.B. in 1913, and Art Garland joined his father as a funeral director in 1939. After working for Art Garland as a college student, Calvin Van Arkel joined Art at the Garland Chapel in 1960. The name was changed to Garland-Van Arkel Funeral Chapel at that time. In 1978, David Langkamp moved to Oskaloosa and joined Calvin at Garland-Van Arkel Funeral Chapel. In 1980 the Funeral Chapel was moved to its present location at 2116 North 3rd Street, and in 1984 David became co-owner with Calvin, and the business was renamed Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel. Calvin retired from the funeral chapel in 2001 and sold his share of the company to David and his wife, Shawn. In 2009, their son, Andrew, joined them at the funeral chapel. The funeral chapel opened Central Iowa Cremation Services in 2011, a crematory on the grounds of the funeral chapel. And in 2017, David and Shawn decided it was time to change the name to reflect the care and nature of their services to Langkamp Funeral Chapel and Crematory.
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David M. Langkamp
David Langkamp, a native of Dubuque, IA., earned his degree from Worsham College of Mortuary Science in Chicago IL. He moved to Oskaloosa to work with Calvin Van Arkel in 1978 and in 2001 bought the business from Calvin.David is a member of the National Funeral Directors Association and the Iowa Funeral Directors Association. He is the firm's licensed insurance agent, enabling him to write the prearrangements that are enrolled in insurance policies. He serves on many boards and committees throughout the Oskaloosa/Mahaska County area. Currently, he is a member of the Mahaska Health Partnership Board of Trustees. David continues to give presentations and tours to church, civic and school groups.
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Shawn R. Langkamp, Administrative Assistant
Shawn Langkamp is a native of Orange City, IA.; she received her B.S. in Nursing from the University of Iowa in 1980. She worked at the University of Iowa Hospitals and after moving to Oskaloosa at the Mahaska County Hospital. She has served on several boards and committees in the Oskaloosa/Mahaska County area. Shawn administers the Resource Library we make available to anyone. Shawn's nursing background and first hand experience with children make her a natural when it comes to communications regarding death, grief and children; she is also glad to do presentations to all age groups on death and grief. Shawn enjoys reading, flower gardening and most recently her role as grandmother.
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Andrew D. Langkamp
Andrew Langkamp, a native of Oskaloosa, IA., is the son of David and Shawn Langkamp. Andrew grew up in Oskaloosa and has been around the funeral profession since he was a small boy. He is a 2008 graduate of Iowa State University where he majored in marketing. Andrew then attended the DMACC School of Mortuary Science where he received his Diploma in Mortuary Science. He has been a licensed funeral director since 2010. Andrew is a member of National Funeral Directors Association, Iowa Funeral Directors Association, Cremation Association of North America, a board member of Mahaska Health Partnership Hospice Serenity House, and the Oskaloosa Rotary Club. He and his wife, Melissa and their two daughters live in Oskaloosa and attend Central Reformed Church. Andrew enjoys hunting, fishing and golfing.
