Mark C. (Mick) McConnell
Mark C. (Mick) McConnell, age 87, lifelong Gibbon resident, passed away Saturday, September 21, 2024, at Prairie View Gardens in Kearney.
Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m. tomorrow (Friday) at the Faith United Church in Gibbon. Visitation will be held 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. tonight (Thursday) at the church.
Memorials are suggested to Gibbon Volunteer Fire Department, Gibbon Faith United Methodist Church or to Good Samaritan Prairie View Gardens Memory Care. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Services are entrusted to O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services.
Mick was born July 22, 1937, in Gibbon, to Mark E. and Viola (Reynolds) McConnell. He helped his dad farm and raise potatoes before graduating from Gibbon High School in 1955.
On September 16, 1956, Mick was united in marriage to Glennadele Crawford in Kearney. They celebrated their 68th wedding anniversary on Monday, September 16, 2024.
Mick lived in Gibbon most of his life, when he was young, he lived two years in California during the depression and World War II when his dad worked for Lockheed Aircraft Corp. Mick was a longtime employee of the Gibbon Coop Feed mill where he was a truck driver then maintenance. He later worked at Eaton Corp., before purchasing Walker Hardware in January of 1975 of which he owned and operated until October of 2002 when he retired. After retiring he kept busy with several part-time jobs that he enjoyed very much, working at the City of Gibbon, helping Frank at Kilgore Plumbing, and got a Commercial Driver’s License and drove truck for Larry and Lance Bailey with high school classmates, Don Cline and Jim Slater. He lived his final year in Kearney at Kinship Pointe and Prairie View Gardens.
Mick was a member of Gibbon Faith United Methodist Church, where he was active on several boards and committees. He was also a member of the Gibbon Volunteer Fire Department, the Wood River Masonic Lodge, the Gibbon Alumni Board, Jaycees, and Gibbon Chamber of Commerce. Mick and Glennadele were the Grand Marshals in the 2003 Gibbon Fourth of July Parade.
Mick enjoyed fishing, woodworking, gardening, caring for his lawn and was a master of home improvement projects. He rewired, replumbed and remodeled the house they lived in for 55 years.
He enjoyed following his kids’ activities, was a Gibbon Buffalo and Nebraska Cornhusker fan. He took his kids to Husker football games when they were young which led them to be fans too and NU football season ticket holders. Mick was a proud grandpa attending grandkids’ school events, sports, and plays.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife, Glennadele McConnell, of Gibbon; sons, Kevin McConnell, of Omaha, Kent (Kandi Brown) McConnell, of Gibbon, and Keith (Mary) McConnell, of Lincoln; daughters, Kendra (Bryice) Mc-Connell Wilke, of Panora Iowa, and Kimberly McConnell, of Nashville Tennessee; grandkids, Matt (Jodi) McConnell, of Lincoln, Mark (Ann Stenehjem) McConnell, of Kearney, Mandy McConnell, of Omaha, Ellie Wilke, of Newport Beach, California, Macey Wilke, of Costa Mesa, California, Jensen Wilke, of Salt Lake City, Utah, Nick McConnell, of Davis, California, Jacey McConnell, of Lincoln, and Jeremiah Moore, of Nashville Tennessee; great-granddaughter, Gianna, of Lincoln; as well as extended family and friends.
Mick was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Marlene Baxter; and brother, Gary Mc-Connell.