Don Allen SICKELS

NYE, SICKELS, JETER, LAMB, WATERS, CRANDALL, FROST, HERNANDEZ, MORRIS, GUCK, MCGAHUEY, SHARP, PYLE

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 6/16/2012 at 03:47:45

OBITUARY ~ DON ALLEN SICKELS
July 17, 1928 ~ June 06, 2012

Don Allen SICKELS, 83, of Mount Ayr, IA, passed away on June 6, 2012, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines.

Don, the youngest of eleven children, was born July 17, 1928 to E.G. and Belle (NYE) SICKELS. His first job was at a service station on the south side of the Mount Ayr square. He married Faye JETER on October 26, 1947. They farmed near Mount Ayr until 1958. During this time, he also drove a lime truck for Dee LAMB. He moved his family to Clarinda where he operated a service station for a couple of years. In 1960, they returned to Mount Ayr where he worked as a tank wagon driver, and later owner, for Standard Oil. After he sold his business to MFA, he drove for them until he retired from the oil business in 1991. In addition to driving the tank wagon, he drove a school bus for Mount Ayr for 13 years.

Intermittently, Don drove a tender truck for Benton Co-op and teamed up with Faye to shuttle vehicles for local auto dealerships. In 1980, Don was in partnership with his son in Sickels Lime & Rock Hauling until health issues forced retirement from his various driving occupations in 2003. He once said he would rather drive a truck than eat when he was hungry; and he sure loved to eat.

Don enjoyed life and loved spending time with his family, taking family trips, playing cards and yard games, and following grand and great-grand children's extra-curricular activities.

Those left to cherish his memory are his wife Faye; three children, Joyce (Mark) WATERS of Des Moines, Judy (Allen) CRANDALL of Oelwein, and Ron SICKELS of Mount Ayr; one sister, Viona FROST of Indianola; five grandchildren, Todd WATERS, Amber (Jeremy) GUCK, Toni (Gary) MORRIS, Matt CRANDALL, and Shannon (Bob) HERNANDEZ; and eight great-grandchildren, Avery and Austin GUCK, Zach MORRIS, Savanna, Alex, and Hunter CRANDALL, Braylen and McKale HERNANDEZ, three sisters-in-law, Wanda McGAHUEY, Virginia SHARP, and Helen JETER; numerous cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, eight brothers, Rex, Cecil, Lester, Roy, Duane, Dean, Earl, and Jim, and one sister Cleta PYLE.

A memorial fund has been established to the family.

It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn’t go alone.
Part of me went with you,
The day God called you home.

A celebration of life service was held at Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr on Saturday, June 9, 2012, with Rev. Peter BRANTNER officiating. Organist was Debbie CANNON and singers were Galen and Cory JETER.

Casket bearers included Mike SICKELS, Andy SICKELS, Jeff SICKELS, Larry SICKELS, Bob SICKELS and Dale JETER.

Honorary pallbearers were Todd WATERS, John SICKELS, Zach MORRIS, Sam SICKELS, Gary MORRIS, Mack SICKELS, Terry McGAHUEY, Steve SICKELS, Lonnie SHARP and "Sparky."

Interment was made at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr.

Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home of Mount Ayr was in charge of arrangements.

SOURCE:hosting-24708.tributes.com/show/Don-Sickels-93925601

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2012

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