John David Stone 1950-2010

STONE, MAYNARD, MCGAHUEY, BROWN, MOETSCH, SCHMIDT, CASSITY, FERRELL, WILSON, THOMAS, STEPHENS

Posted By: Curtis (email)
Date: 6/17/2010 at 11:11:15

DEATH NOTICE:

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Leon, Iowa June 9, 2010 )

STONE, John David (Dave), 60, of Leon, Iowa, died on his farm June 1, 2010. Following cremation, Memorial Services were at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, June 6, 2010 at Slade-O'Donnell Funeral Home in Leon, Iowa with Rev. Terry Roberts officiating. Burial was in Shy Cemetery, Northwest of Leon.

Obituary -

(The Leon Journal-Reporter Leon, Iowa June 9, 2010)

JOHN DAVID (DAVE) STONE ... John David (Dave) Stone, son of John Springer and Julia Ellen [Maynard] Stone, was born January 26, 1950 in Leon, IA and died June 1, 2010 on his farm in Leon. Dave graduated from Central Decatur High School and went on to Universal Technical Institute in Omaha, NE followed by Denver Diesel & Automotive School in Denver, CO. On December 28, 1969, he was untied in marriage to Marcia Dawn McGauhey in the old Christian church in Leon where he had been baptized as a child. To this union four children were born; Mari Anne, Jacob Langdon, Sara Ellen and Amy Ruth.

Dave was a "diversified entrepreneur" and an economic survivor. He survived the Oil Embargo of the 1970's as proprietor of the Phillipps 66 Station in Leon, he survived the farm crisis and the drought of the 1980's while owning D&M Stone Farms and he was riding the current economic downturn as owner/operator of Stonebroke Trucking.

Dave had farming in his blood an was a 5th generation owner of a Century Farm in Leon. He served on many boards throughout his life, most recently on the Decatur County Hospital Board of Trustees. He served on the board for the Decatur County Cattlemen's Association and was involved with the Iowa Cattlemen's Association. He was dedicated to the promotion of the use of soybeans and bio diesel. He served with the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board and was a delegate to China in 1992 with the United Soybean Board to bring back new soybean germ plasm for study in the US.

As a young man, Dave was active in 4-H and FFA, and showed the grand champion steer three times at the county fair. He supported these organizations the rest of his life. He was a lifelong "gear-head" who started with go-carts on the farm growing up and then raced his #13 stock car at the Decatur Raceway, facing the Springer/Stone #13 superstition head-on. He also was an avid supporter of the Leon Rodeo, serving on the committee for several years. His children and grandchildren loved the Stonebroke sky box at the rodeo and would bring their friends to join in the fun.

Dave was a well known prankster; his family and friends delighted in both hearing and telling tales of his exploits. A favorite from his youth involved nearly being expelled from high school after lighting a teacher's papers on fire - while the teacher held them behind his back. It was also easy to tell when Dave was up to something because his eyes would turn bright (but steel) blue. Thos who paid close attention also knew to lay low when those blue eyes turned gray because it meant trouble was brewing. Dave's mischievous streak was well known, as was his big heart. He loved his grandchildren with everything he had and was in the process of building gigantic sandboxes for all of them. He also treasured his relationship with Renee Cassity, of Leon.

Dave leaves to celebrate his memory his children, Mari Ann (Brown) and husband, Kevin, of Ankeny, IA, Jake and wife, Deanna, of Leon, Sara (Moetsch) and husband, Ben, of Winterset, IA, and Amy (Schmidt) and husband, Sean of West Des Moines, IA, his companion, Renee Cassity of Leon, his brother, Tom and wife, Norma, Stone of Leon, Nieces Jenny (Ferrell) and husband, Cory of Donahue, IA and Alicia (Wilson) and husband, David, of Bondurant, IA, Renee's daughter, LaShell (Thomas) and husband Noah, of Olathe, KS, and former wife Marcia Stephens of Leon. His life will also be remembered by his grandchildren, Emmy, Isabel and Adeline Stone of Leon, Sam and Jack Brown of Ankeny, Caleb Moetsch of Winterset and Braeden Thomas of Olathe, KS, and his numerous friends.