Lawrence 'Larry' Hobert Connell

Lawrence (Larry) Hobert Connell, 91, of Spencer, Iowa, passed away at Spencer Hospital on April 23, 2014, after a brief illness. Larry was born June 13, 1922, in Arnolds Park, Iowa, to George and Emma (Schweizer) Connell. After a difficult childhood during the depression era, he quit school in 10th grade in 1939, and joined the Civilian Conservation Corps. He joined the US Army in early 1941, and served in the 43rd Engineers General Services Regiment. After basic training, he shipped off to Australia and New Guinea on a ship that passed through the Panama Canal, which took an entire day. The ship was a very small Cuban mail boat, and held 4,000 soldiers, sleeping seven bunks high. Larry spent three years in Australia and New Guinea building air strips for airplanes. He had many interesting stories to tell about the adventures "the 18-year-old Iowa kid" experienced while in the service, as well as the incredible discomforts they all took in stride. He was honorably discharged August 16, 1945. After discharge, he obtained his high school graduation equivalency through Buena Vista College in Storm Lake, Iowa. Larry worked as a carpenter for a short time, and then joined Northwestern Bell Telephone Company in 1947, where he started digging holes for 90 cents an hour. Throughout his career with Northwestern Bell, he worked as a splicer, installer, and lineman, and was known to be able to pull a cable through a building simply by putting it over his shoulder and walking in the opposite direction. He retired from the telephone company in 1983, after 35 years of service. In 1952, Larry married Dolores Fredericks Hall. To this union a daughter, Debra (Debbie), was born. They were divorced in 1955. On April 2, 1956, he married Esther Jean DeLong at Nashua, Iowa, in the Little Brown Church. Larry and Esther lived in Spencer all their married lives, until Esther's passing in 2010. To this union, three children were born: Craig, David, and Lauri. Larry was the proud Grandpa of six grandsons and one granddaughter. Larry was handy and talented with all kinds of things, and he enjoyed carpentry, his workshop, yard work, and working with his hands. He added on to and remodeled the Connell home in Spencer many times over the years. He helped several friends and relatives remodel their homes over the years as well. Larry was a patriotic man, and flew an American flag every day. His children knew at an early age to take the flag in by sundown if Dad wasn't home in time. He instilled American pride in his children, and they fly the flag proudly at their own homes today. The family took many interesting vacations each summer, including drives to the great Northwest to see Craig at the National Boy Scout Jamboree in Idaho, and a 3 week trip to Washington D.C. Due to his wife's interest in genealogy, members of Esther's family in Denmark and Larry's family in Germany were found, and wonderful friendships and bonds were formed with family from afar. As a result, starting in the later 1970s, numerous trips occurred where the Connells visited Germany, and the German relatives came to Iowa. Three years ago, in 2011, Larry had the honor of giving the first salute to his grandson, Christopher Connell, when Chris was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserve Officers Training Corps at Kansas State University. It was one of Larry's proudest moments, and Chris and Larry were given a standing ovation. Larry had a love for the color red, and always wanted a red pickup truck. He never bought that truck, but in typical Larry fashion, he is getting his wish to be buried in a red casket. Larry is survived by his four children: Debbie Lackey (John) of Lake Havasu City, Arizona; Craig Connell (Jill) of Lenexa, Kansas; David Connell (special friend Patti Harney) of Guttenberg, Iowa; and Lauri Connell Cullen (Gary) of Luxemburg, Wisconsin: seven grandchildren: Ben (Amanda) Connell, Nick Connell, Chris Connell, Patrick Connell, Matthew Connell, Kathryn Connell, and Samuel Connell Thorne: and two great grandchildren, Charlotte and Cale Connell. Larry is also survived by his sister, Esther (Dean) McSpadden of Austin, Texas; brother-in-law and sister-in-law Steve and Jan DeLong; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. The Connell Family would like to sincerely thank all of the caregivers at Home Instead Senior Care for their special friendship and loving care the past 4 years, with special appreciation for Jodi and Julie, who not only were his caregivers, but his good friends. We would also like to thank the ICU and 3West nursing staff at the Spencer Hospital for the compassion and care given during Larry's final days.

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