Don McConnell

DON MCCONNELL

Anamosa

Don McConnell, 83, of Cedar Rapids, formerly of Anamosa, died Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, at the Joan and Ed Hemphill Hospice unit at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke's Hospital. Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 19, at Goettsch Funeral Home, Anamosa, where friends may call from 3 until 6 p.m. Sunday. Interment will be in the Toddville Cemetery. Lowell Klinefelter will officiate at the services.

Thoughts, memories and condolences may be left at www.goettschonline.com.

Surviving are his wife, Roberta; three sons, Tony (Linda), Chouteau, Okla., Terry (April), Tulsa, Okla., and Randy (Terri), Anamosa; three grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandchild; nine siblings, Dorothy Adamson, Salina, Kan., Von (Lillian), Cedar Rapids, Adella (Ron) Powders, Arkansas City, Kan., Erwin (Dixie), Velma Pate, Albert (Dale) Stanek and Dwight (Vickie), all of Cedar Rapids, Marcene (Jim) Powers, Albia, and Alice Roberts, Oskaloosa.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a son, Don Jr.; two sisters, Doris and Thelma Jean; and two brothers, Junior and Virgil.

Don attended county schools in the Fremont, Iowa, area. He worked hard from the time he was little, delivering ice blocks to people, and other odd jobs. He married Roberta Ann Rogers on June 30, 1951, in Ottumwa. They moved to Cedar Rapids, where Don was employed at Wilson Foods for many years. He worked at Wilsons during the day and worked nights cutting up cars with an axe on a property by Springville. They eventually bought their land in rural Anamosa in 1968 and Don started his own salvage yard and used car business. Don was a very hard worker. He loved cars and made it a practice to be honest with his customers. A testament to that is the fact that the business is still operating today.

A conversation with Don always included something about cars. Whenever you would see Don he would usually ask, "What kind of car are you driving now?" His famous words were, "I've got a beautiful car for you," whether it needed a fender or the whole back half! He always could see the finished product before the repairs had even begun. Don never knew a stranger. He was always friendly and would talk to anyone.

Don had a lot of health problems through the years but his positive attitude always gave him the will to get better. His love of cars and trucks gave him the strength to get better as he loved driving the wrecker and truck.

His sense of humor preceded him; he loved life. Family meant a great deal to Don. He will be missed by all whose lives he touched.