Nanlaeng Boonkaung Chanthavong

Nanlaeng Boonkaung Chanthavong, age 87, of Storm Lake, Iowa died Thursday, May 14, 2015 in Storm Lake. Funeral services will be held Sunday, May 17, 2015 at 6:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Storm Lake. The Fratzke & Jensen Funeral Home in Storm Lake is in charge of the arrangements. Nanlaeng Boonkaung Chanthavong, age 87, of Storm Lake, Iowa died Thursday, May 14, 2015 in Storm Lake. Nanlaeng Boonkaung Chanthavong was born on March 4, 1928 in Laos. Before he married, Nanlaeng lived in a Buddhist temple in his village. His parents sent him at age eight or nine to live in the temple and become a monk. He had an older sister, an older brother, and a younger brother. Nanlaeng decided on his own to be a monk because it was an easy life. He did not have to work hard in the fields; was given food that is donated by the villagers; all he had to do was clean the temple and study the books of Buddha and graduated from Ban Kuok. He lived in the temple and wore orange garments until he was twenty-eight years old. During that time he traveled to different temples to do monastic work and saw a little bit of the world. He decided to quit being a monk at the age of twenty eight because he wanted to find a woman and get married. He moved to Tad Vang Pha, Thailand, for about three years and lived with some friends and worked for a while in a business before returning to our home village of Ban Kuok. When he returned to his home village in 1960, he discovered Keo Chanthavong, a friend of his from childhood, who had been a single parent for almost three years. Nanlaeng asked Keo to marry him in 1960 and she did. He was thirty-two years old and she was twenty-seven years old. Together they had five children: Somsak Chanthavong, the oldest son, of Alaska, United States; Win Chanthavong of Laos; Tong Chanthavong of Laos; Boonyom “Pany” Chanthavong of Storm Lake, United States; Khamon Chanthavong of Laos. He also has twelve grandchildren and two great grandchildren. While in Laos, Nanlaeng enjoyed farming different crops such as rice, corn, peppers, and sugar cane. He loved to spend time outside in his garden whenever he could. Most of all, he loved spending quality time with his family. Nanlaeng moved to the United States in 2007. He lived with his daughter, Pany, until the end of his life. He will be remembered forever.

Nanlaeng Boonkaung Chanthavong

March 4, 1928 - May 14, 2015