CONNELL, Marcia Jean

CONNELL, ASHLAND, WOODFORD, OHLROGGE, LOVELL

Posted By: Pat Ludeke (email)
Date: 6/11/2013 at 23:11:48

Marcia A. Connell, 81, of Clear Lake died peacefully in her home surrounded
by loved ones on Thursday, June 12, 2008.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 18, at the First
Congregational Church, 205 W. 10th Ave. N., Clear Lake. Private inurnment
services will be held later at the Clear Lake Cemetery. Visitation will be
Tuesday from 5 -7 p.m. at the Ward-Van Slyke Colonial Chapel, Clear Lake, and
then one hour before the service on Wednesday at the church.

Memorials may be given to the First Congregational Church in Clear Lake,
Opportunity Village, the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation and the Clear Lake
Community School Foundation.

Marcia Jean Ashland was born Nov. 28, 1926 to L.E. (Earl) and Esther
Woodford Ashland. As a teen, she worked summers in her father’s Basket Grocery
stores. She enjoyed sailing on the lake and the outdoors. She enjoyed fishing,
pheasant hunting and trapshooting with her father. She graduated from Clear
Lake High School, attended Lindenwood College in St. Charles, Mo. and graduated
with a business degree from the University of Iowa. Marcia worked as a buyer for
Marshall Fields in Chicago after graduating from college.

Marcia and James F. Connell were married Sept. 3, 1949 and lived in Iowa
City, Iowa before moving to Clear Lake where Jim managed what is now Woodford
Lumber and Home Company. Their first daughter, Sarah, was born while Jim was
serving in the Army in the Korean conflict. She was active in the Girl Scouts
with her daughters and headed up the Red Cross swimming program at City Beach.
Marcia had a dry sense of humor, was a hard worker and was staunchly independent
until breaking a hip a few years ago.

Marcia enjoyed taking family trips in the summer, going on fishing trips to
Canada with Jim and good friends, golfing, hunting for morel mushrooms and
having picnics with family and friends. She was an avid reader and enjoyed her
“bookies” group of friends who meet weekly. She loved attending her grandsons’
school and sports activities.

Marcia was an owner, served as president, was currently chairman of the
board and was active on the boards of directors of both the Clear Lake
Independent Telephone Company and Woodford Lumber and Home for over 60 years
until just months before her death. At a time when many might focus on their
retirement, she continued to reinvest in the companies.

She enjoyed wishing employees happy birthday and keeping up with their
childrens’ activities. She also believed strongly in giving back to the
community. She established scholarships at Clear Lake High School and NIACC.
Marcia and her family are grateful they could protect one of the last stretches
of lakeshore wilderness on Clear Lake. The family gave up the property right in
1992 to develop what is now Woodford Ashland Lone Tree Point Nature Area via a
conservation easement with the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. The family
still owns the property, but allows public access for low impact use.

Marcia served on the Opportunity Village Board of Directors, Board of
Trustees at First Congregational Church and was an active member there. She was
a member of PEO Chapter EA, Delta Gamma sorority and other organizations.

She is survived by her daughter, Sarah Ohlrogge (Dennis) of Onalaska, Wis.;
daughter, Jan Lovell (Tom) of Clear Lake; two grandsons, Christopher Lovell and
Erik Ohlrogge and son-in-law, Kevin Magee of Madison, Wis.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Jim and daughter,
Susan Connell-Magee of Madison, Wis.