A funeral Mass for Tony Kahler, 84, of Bancroft, was held 10:00 AM on Saturday, March 14, 2026, at Divine Mercy Parish ~ St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Bancroft. Burial was in the church cemetery with military honors conducted.
Anthony Raymond “Tony” Kahler was born on April 5, 1941, in Bancroft, son of Herman and Laura (Lappe) Kahler. He graduated from St. John’s High School in Bancroft in 1959. After graduating from high school, he worked for a short time with a road crew and then a construction crew out of Algona. In the fall of 1959, he enrolled in Sioux City Barber College, graduating in 1960 after doing his apprenticeship with a barber in Cherokee. He barbered in Algona, Lone Rock, before establishing his barbershop in Fenton, where he barbered for close to 50 years.
In 1962, he met his wife Lael Pettit at a dance at Interlaken in Fairmont, MN. They were married on November 30, 1963, at St. John’s Baptist Catholic Church in Bancroft. They made their home in Fenton until March of 1979, when they moved to the farm east of Bancroft where Tony grew up.
He was drafted into the Army the fall of 1966, he was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs before being sent to Vietnam for a tour of duty, where he served from December 1967-August 1968 with the First Battalion Sixth Infantry, until he was honorably discharged from the United States Army on August 31, 1968. Arriving home he was finally reunited with the love of his life, they took off on an adventure to spend some time together, the time that was robbed from them when Tony was sent to Vietnam.
He began farming in the fall of 1968, which he continued to do until he retired in 2012. He also retired from barbering at the same time. He enjoyed being with his family, spending countless hours with his grandchildren and also babysitting them, he never missed a sporting event for his grandkids. He enjoyed it when Chris and Corey, his brothers Kenny and John came for a visit. You could never walk into his house for a visit without him saying “you know where the beer is”. He also enjoyed mowing the lawn and classic cars.
He is survived by his two daughters, Kerry Kahler and Heather Vaske and her husband Chris of Bancroft; two grandchildren, Jordan Vaske and her special friend Jake of Algona, and Corey and his wife Hailey of Bancroft; three great grandchildren, Laelynn, Emery and Phoenix, and baby Vaske on the way. He is also survived by four brothers: Albert (Mary) Kahler, Allen (Deb) Kahler, Kenny (Elaine) Kahler, and John (Pam) Kahler; two sisters, Barb (Rich) Ruzicka and Betty Hansen; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his wife; his parents; two sisters, Donna Hellman and Shirley Kahler; and two brothers, Richard Kahler and a brother in infancy.
Oakcrest Funeral Services of Bancroft in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be made to www.oakcrestfuneralservices.com.
