Ronald DeWayne BRIDGES

BRIDGES, OLINGER, WILLIMON, MORRIS, PETERSON, SPIEKER, STEFFEN, YOUNG, MEHMEN, CONRAD

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 6/16/2013 at 13:41:11

June 2, 1937 ---- June 7, 2013

GARNER — Ronald DeWayne Bridges, 76, of Garner, Iowa, passed away Friday, June 7, 2013, at Mercy Medical Center-North Iowa in Mason City. Memorial services for Ron Bridges will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, June 15, at the United Methodist Church, 707 Fourth St. S.W. in Britt with Pastor Robert Dodge officiating. Following the ceremony there will be a potluck picnic for family and friends at the Lions Park shelter house in Britt.

Ron, the son of DeWayne (Pat) and LaVon (Olinger) Bridges was born June 2, 1937, in rural Dows, Iowa. He received his education in the Dows area. He was united in marriage to the love of his life on June 12, 1954, falling just 5 days short of their 59th wedding anniversary. They started their life together on a farm near Dows. The vast majority of his life was spent looking through the windshield as an over-the-road semi driver and working in the construction industry doing everything from pounding nails, pouring concrete to running heavy equipment.

Ron was a very intelligent, gifted and talented man who not only enjoyed the challenge of figuring out what was wrong with whatever it was that broke down but the satisfaction of making it work like new again. This was done for family and friends alike. He spent the last 13 years, until his health would no longer let him, working at Opportunity Village as a taxi bus driver. He was much more than that to the clients he served, treating them with the love and respect that was given back to him by each one of them in return. In Ron's younger years his hobbies steered more toward the adventures like racing semis and buses. In recent years he enjoyed restoring antique tractors and as always fixing things. The most important things in his life were his loving wife and family, supporting them no matter what. His grandchildren and especially his great-grandchildren were his angels here on earth.

Ron is survived by his wife of 59 years Darlene; his five children and their families: Michael (Ruth) Bridges of Garner, Ryan Bridges, Stephanie Willimon, Penny Morris; Danny Bridges of Dows, Roxanne Peterson, Danny Bridges Jr., Shawn Bridges, Samantha Bridges; Connie (Larry) Spieker of Forest City, Ashley Steffen, Nicholas Spieker; Blair Bridges of Garner; Calleen (Tom) Young of Duncan, Benjamin Mehmen, Nicholas Mehman, Gage Young; and 16 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, DeWayne (Pat) and LaVon Bridges; father and mother-in-law, Earnest and Esther Conrad; and son Barry Bridges. Ewing Funeral Chapel, Britt, Iowa

Globe Gazette -- Mason City, Iowa
June 13, 2013