116 3rd St SE
Cedar Rapids, Iowa 52401
Obituaries
The Gazette publishes obituaries on a daily basis. Use the search field above to search for obituaries by name or keyword. Readers can submit an obituary or submit a milestone to The Gazette. The obituary must be submitted before 1 p.m. for publication on thegazette.com at 6 p.m. and in the daily edition the next day, with the exception of obituaries for Sunday publication, which must be submitted by 1 p.m. on Fridays.
The Gazette offers audio versions of articles using Instaread. Some words may be mispronounced.
Donald “Joe” Joseph Falconer
Donald “Joe” Joseph Falconer
Manchester
Donald “Joe” Joseph Falconer, 91, of Manchester, Iowa, passed away on Tuesday, March 25, 2025, at Allen Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa. Visitation will be held from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 30, 2025, at Bohnenkamp-Murdoch Funeral Home & Cremation Service in Manchester. Funeral Mass will begin at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, March 31, 2025, with an additional visitation from 10:00 to 10:45 a.m. at St. Mary Catholic Church with the Reverend Gabriel Anderson officiating. Burial will take place at Calvary Cemetery, in Ryan, Iowa. You may access livestream of the funeral mass at: www.blessedtrinitycluster.com and Click Mass Live Stream.
Joe was born on October 23, 1933, in Hopkinton, Iowa, the son of Donald and Irene (McDonald) Falconer. Joe grew up on a farm near Ryan, Iowa, and graduated from St. John’s High School in 1951. He then went on to attend Iowa State University. On November 23, 1954, he married Ruth McGraw at St. Mary Catholic Church in Manchester, Iowa, and together they had nine children. Joe was a dedicated farmer in Buck Creek for six years and Volga for another 15 years until 1977. He then went to work as a welder at Henderson’s for five years before transitioning to owning and operating Falconer Landscaping. His faith played a central role in his life, and he was an active member of St. Mary Catholic Church in Manchester. In his spare time, Joe enjoyed fishing, camping, traveling, and had a particular passion for Farmall tractors.
Joe is survived by his wife, Ruth Falconer; children, Steve Falconer of Edgewood, Iowa, Mary Donna Falconer of Arlington, Maureen Falconer of Austin, Texas, Fran (Kevin) Brokens of Manchester, Fred (Trishia) Falconer of Manchester, Marge (Jon) Banse St. Point, Ed (Sunny) Falconer of Alamogordo, New Mexico, Paul Falconer of Coggon; ten grandchildren; 14 stepgrandchildren; four great-grandchildren; four stepgreat-grandchildren; brother, David Falconer of Lexington, Kentucky; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Donald and Irene Falconer; daughter, Regina; sister, Kathleen Coopmans; granddaughter, Carissa Falconer Green; and son Steve’s special friend, Kathie Sauerbry.
Memorials in Joe’s memory may be directed to the family.
Please share a memory of Joe at www.murdochfuneralhome.com under obituaries.
Daily Newsletters