Robert Houghtaling

Funeral Services: Will be held on Monday, November 3, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. at the Greenfield United Methodist Church with a luncheon immediately following. Pastor Melinda Stonebraker will officiate the service. The Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield is in charge of the professional arrangements. Online condolences may be left to the family at www.lambfuneralhomes.com.

Family Visitation: The family will greet friends on Sunday, November 2, 2025, from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. at the Lamb Funeral Home in Greenfield.

Memorials: Memorials may be made to Parkinson’s Research or to the Iowa 4-H Foundation.

Robert Harry Houghtaling was born February 26, 1938 near Bussey, Iowa to Ralph and Hazel Houghtaling. He was active in 4-H, showing livestock at the Mahaska County and Iowa State Fairs and winning a state award and trip to National 4-H Congress in Chicago.

Bob graduated from Cedar High School and was the first person in his family to attend college.  He graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Animal Husbandry, an achievement he attributed to 4-H. He paid his way through college by shearing sheep and working at university farms. On visits to Ames, he never failed to point out to his family that Hilton Coliseum stands where he once worked on the farm that studied animal bloat.  

While at Iowa State, he met Lois Maland and the two were married in Hubbard on August 26, 1962. They moved to Greenfield in 1967 where he established the local Farmers’ Home Administration office. They purchased their farm south of Greenfield in 1968 and lived there ever since.

Bob and Lois had three daughters. He was an active 4-H parent, club leader, and fair superintendent. He loved all fairs and show rings. He bought two dairy goats shortly after his oldest daughter started 4-H, setting the family’s farming operation in a new direction. After his daughters graduated, he continued to raise and show dairy goats at state fairs in the Midwest and at national shows throughout the United States. He was very proud of improving genetic lines over decades and his herd won many awards including Champion Junior Saanen at the 2007 American Dairy Goat Association show in Wyoming. He looked forward to meeting and spending time with his many dairy goat friends and he mentored and helped numerous young people start their own herds. He and Lois were inducted into the Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame.

Bob was involved in the Adair County Fair Board (serving as president for many years), Adair County Farm Bureau, Adair County and Iowa Sheep Associations, Pork Producers, Greenfield United Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge, Eastern Star and served as a Rainbow Dad.  His daughters have lived across the United States and he enjoyed seeing different parts of the country during visits, but he preferred the fields and landscapes of Iowa. 

He loved spending time with his family around the dining room table, playing games (especially Cribbage and Family Bingo); watching Iowa State sports; and attending every music, speech or sports event his grandsons participated in.

He passed away October 24, 2025 at the age of 87 from Parkinson’s. He is survived by his wife Lois; daughters Mary Houghtaling of Creston; Debra Houghtaling of Greenfield; and Amy Johnson (Versile) of Texas; grandsons Vinh Nguyen (attending Fort Valley State University in Georgia) and Khai Nguyen (attending St. Olaf College in Minnesota); sister Marilyn Carroll; and many beloved nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, infant brother Ray, sister Mary Jane in childhood, and sisters Jean Cope and Barbara Fanning.