Donna D. Conley (1932-2021)

CONLEY, SCHRUNK, SMITH

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 3/4/2021 at 08:26:50

Donna D. Conley, age 89, passed away February 22, 2021 at Sunset Park Place of natural causes.

Visitation will be from 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. Saturday, February 27th, at the Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Funeral Home and Crematory, 2659 John F. Kennedy Road. Funeral services will immediately follow the visitation with Rev. Tom Shinkle officiating and will be live streamed on the Egelhof, Siegert & Casper Funeral Home and Crematory facebook page. Burial and graveside service will be at Bethel Cemetery, Osterdock, IA. Please be aware that face masks and social distancing will be observed during all gatherings.

Donna was born January 26, 1932 near Graham, Iowa, the daughter of Ferman J. & Berdina M. (Schrunk) Smith. She attended the Millville School, and was active in 4H. She married John M. Conley on August 7, 1951 in Colesberg, IA. They lived on a farm in Osterdock, IA before moving to Dubuque in 1966. She worked in the American Pearl Button Factory in Guttenberg, then ran their farm in Osterdock while her husband worked at John Deere in Dubuque. Eventually they moved the family to Dubuque, then to Sherrill, Iowa where they built a house in 1971 and lived there 47 years. At their home she cleared land and built a park for the family to enjoy.

She loved animals and would often take in stray dogs and cats. Donna enjoyed bowling on teams in Guttenberg and Dubuque for several years. She was a long time member of Center Gove United Methodist Church where she was on many committees. She was a trap shooter and hunter. In the fall she would take 6 shotgun shells with her and come back with 6 squirrels. She had her HAM radio license WN0KNN, and took flying lessons.

Surviving are her daughter, Joanne Gebauer, of Dubuque, son, John C. (Jeanne) Conley of Sherrill, 6 grandchildren: Jeff (Dr. Sarah) Gebauer, Steamboat Springs, CO, Jared (fiancé Rita Murray) Gebauer, Jackson Hole, WY, Sarah (Nick) Nelson, Belmond, IA, John David (Mint Chims) Conley, Lompoc, CA, Samantha (John) Greene, Dubuque, Elizabeth (P.J.) Donovan, Dubuque, and eleven great-grandchildren, Liam, Roman, Fiona, Eric, Cole, Elsie, Andrew, Peyton, Sterling, Zoey, and Quelvid Kai. Donna is also survived by her only brother, Billie Smith of Guttenberg, IA.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 66 years and her parents.

We would like to thank the staff at Sunset Park Place where they were kind, joyous, loving and professional, and a special thank you to Hospice of Dubuque.