McConnell, Thomas Melvin 1940-2007
MCCONNELL, SNITKER, SHANAHAN, COOK, MURRAY, SIMON, YAHR
Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 10/30/2012 at 11:16:27
Thomas M. McConnell, age 67, of Decorah, Iowa, died Thursday evening, October 11, 2007 at Green Lea Manor in Mabel, MN following a long illness.
Memorial Service Mass will be held at 10 A.M. Saturday, October 20, 2007 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah by Rev. Phil Gibbs with inurnment at St. Bridget’s Catholic Cemetery in rural Bluffton, IA
Friends may call after 9:00 A.M. Saturday morning at church, one hour before services. Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah is in charge of arrangements.
Thomas Melvin McConnell was born May 26, 1940 in Cresco, Iowa, the son of Melvin P. and Irene K. (Snitker) McConnell. He attended country school in Bluffton Township, St. Benedict Catholic School in Decorah, and then graduated from Decorah High School with the Class of 1958. He then went to a line-o-type school in St. James, Minnesota.
Tom enlisted in the Army National Guard of Iowa in 1958 and was honorably discharged as a Corporal from Company D, 1/133d Infantry on March 23, 1961.
Tom worked at Anundsen Publishing Company in Decorah. On Memorial Day in 1961 he suffered head injuries in a car accident south of Decorah. After his recovery he moved to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and began working at Stamats Communications as a book binder. He retired from the company after 25 years of service.
He was united in marriage to Kathleen Ann Shanahan of Calmar, Iowa at St. Aloysius Catholic Church in Calmar in 1965. They were later divorced. This union was blessed with one son, Michael Thomas McConnell.
Tom used to ride motor cycles and then he liked to ride bicycles for many years. He rode several RAGBRAIs and in one summer, he rode in 3 structured rides for a total of 1500 miles. He was an avid volunteer in the Cedar Rapids community, including the Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels and with his carpentry skills and woodworking. He received the Volunteer of the Year Award from the Salvation Army in Cedar Rapids in 1990.
Tom became a resident of Green Lea Manor in Mabel, Minnesota in April of 1997.
He is survived by his son Michael (Melissa) McConnell and their two daughters, Claire and Grace of Olathe, Kansas; his mother Irene McConnell of Decorah, Iowa and 5 brothers and sisters; Mary (Dennis) Cook of Waterloo, Iowa, Jane (Ray) Murray of Nevada, Iowa, Kathleen (Jim) Simon of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, David (Brenda) McConnell of Decorah, Maureen (Ervin) Yahr of Decorah, and fourteen nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his father Melvin on September 5, 1994.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to the Green Lea Manor Nursing Home, 115 N. Lyndale, Mabel, Minnesota 55954.
Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database
St. Bridget cemetey
Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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