Paul R. Wayland

Paul R. Wayland

1943 – 2025

ODEBOLT - Paul R. Wayland, 82, of Odebolt, passed away on Dec. 5, 2025, at the Odebolt Specialty Care Nursing Home in Odebolt.

A Funeral Service will be held at 1 p.m., with visitation held two hours prior from 11-1 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025, at the Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home in Odebolt. Rev. Ken Miller will officiate. Committal Services will follow in the Hayes Township Cemetery in Arthur.

The Christensen-Van Houten Funeral Home of Odebolt, is in charge of the funeral arrangements. Condolences may be sent online at www.christensenvanhouten.com

Paul Richard Wayland began his journey on July 24, 1943, in the coastal calm of Santa Barbara, California. Born to Richard Elmer and Georgia (Brown) Wayland, he grew up with the hum of the Pacific in his ears before life carried him to the sun-colored sands of Yuma, Arizona, where he spent fourteen shaping years.

Paul stepped into service, joining the United States Air Force in 1960. There, between discipline and duty, he also finished his high school education, a young man growing into his future while serving his country. He received an honorable discharge in 1962, carrying with him the quiet pride of a job done well.

Life’s winding path brought Paul to Sandra Minkler in 1966, and the two married in 1970. Together, they welcomed three children, Donald, Penny, and Christine, who would become the steady joys of Paul’s life. After nearly three decades, their paths eventually diverged, but the family they created remained an enduring part of him.

As an over-the-road hauler, Paul spent nineteen years driving semi for Alan Schulz out of Lincoln, Nebraska. The open highway suited him, mile after mile of solitude, sky, and purpose. On those roads, he met Betty Bryant, a spirited woman from Germany, and the two shared a meaningful companionship until her passing in 2009.

Not long after, Paul found love again with Sharyn Loch of Odebolt. They were married in 2010 and shared fifteen rich years together. In their first year as husband and wife, they traveled the country, savoring the freedom of the road and especially the sweeping beauty of the West Coast. Those memories became some of Paul’s most cherished.

Paul was a man of many hands-on passions. In the mid-1990’s, he fulfilled a lifelong dream: he built an airplane, crafted it piece by piece, and then flew it himself. That moment, soaring in something born from his own skill, was a testament to the quiet determination that shaped his life. He loved woodworking, tending to his feathered and furry backyard visitors, and simply being with the family who colored his world. His great-granddaughters, Alexis and Chloe, lit up his later years with laughter and light.

Above all, Paul was a man of faith. Each morning, he set aside time for devotion, reflection, and conversation with the Lord he loved so deeply. His faith was not loud or boastful; it was steady, personal, and woven into the core of who he was.

Paul will be missed by his family, by those who shared the road with him, by those who loved him in the many seasons of his life. His story is one of quiet strength, curiosity, craftsmanship, and deep, abiding love. And in the hearts of those who knew him, he will be loved forever.

Left to cherish his memory are his wife Sharyn Wayland, children Donald Wayland, Penny Wayland, and Christine (Gail) Boysen; step children Tom Schramm, Tammy Lindner, and Tanya (Dave) Pierce; 18 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren; extended family and friends.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents Richard Elmer and Georgia Wayland, wife Betty Wayland; and granddaughter Rachel Putzier.