DON ALLEN SICKELS

    Don Allen Sickels, 83, of Mount Ayr, Iowa, passed away on June 6, 2012, at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
    Don, the youngest of 11 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-grandchildren’s extra-curricular activities.
    Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Faye; three children, Joyce (Mark) Waters of Des Moines, Iowa, Judy (Allen) Crandall of Oelwein, Iowa and Ron Sickels of Mount Ayr, Iowa; one sister, Viona Forst of Indianola, Iowa; five grandchildren, Todd Waters, Amber (Jeremy) Guck, Toni (Gary) Morris, Matt Crandall and Shannon (Bob) Hernandez; eight great-grandchildren, Avery and Austin Guck, Zach Morris, Savanna, Alex and Hunter Crandall and Braylen and McKale Hernandez; three sisters-in-law, Wanda McGahuey, Virginia Sharp and Helen Jeter, and 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.
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.’
    Burial was in the Rose Hill Cemetery in Mount Ayr.