Conrad Vance Naegle

Conrad Vance Naegle was born April 7, 1947 in Tucson, AZ to P.W. 'Buster' Naegle and Marion Louise Luke. He was the third child, second son, of the four Naegle children. He was raised on working cattle and horse ranches between southern Arizona and central California, where he graduated from Salinas High School in 1966. He loved animals and was involved in the local 4-H and FFA organizations showing homing pigeons, calves and horses. His greatest love was raising a Brahma calf, Miss Bovine Bars – Sandy, for short – to trick ride. He produced a specialty act and performed during the half-time slot at the California Rodeo. During his performance he would vault across Sandy's back, walk her on a balance beam, jump her over a flaming wood frame, and other amazing feats that were incredible for a cow to do. Plus she did it for the love of bananas! It was during one of these performances that Connie (known by his friends and family) tore the cartilage in his left knee, denying him the opportunity to serve his country during the Vietnam War.

Since hands-on experience meant more to Connie than book learning, he opted to study as an apprentice under various saddle makers in the Sacramento area. He was able to open his first public saddle shop at the Cal-Expo Fairgrounds in 1971. He married Lynn Stratton Cox in 1973, and they had a daughter, Geanie Christine in 1974. Connie closed his shop at Cal-Expo in 1976 and moved his young family to southern California where he could serve a wider horse racing community. After working at Pickwick Western and MacPherson's, he discovered that more money could be made in the motion picture industry.

Connie was fortunate to work as a 'permit' until the required number of work hours had been completed for him to join I.A.T.S.E. Local 44. He enjoyed working “with some of the finest craftsmen in the industry”. He worked as the shop foreman for an independent prop house, The Hand Prop Room, from 1978 to 1980. During this time, his first wife chose to move on to pursue her dreams, so Connie became a full-time mom and dad to their daughter. At HPR, he was able to train Lise Sorensen in the craft of prop making. They fell in love and were married June 14, 1980. Lise chose to stay home to help raise his daughter, and the following March, Daniel Conrad was born.

While Connie's studio leather working skills took him from Upholstery/Drapery, to Prop Maker, to Special Effects Flying Harnesses, the work often took him out of town for weeks, and sometimes months. He was a family man through and through, so by 1987, he chose to be self-employed, working out of a shop built on the back of the garage.

Connie began to produce a line of period luggage and trunk reproductions, as well as offering an antique trunk restoration service. When the real estate market boomed in the late 1980's, he cashed out on his home in Arcadia, and moved his family up the coast to the small town of Los Alamos, CA. It was there that Miles Benjamin came into the world in 1988.

Although the family loved the rural area, real estate was expensive, so the family packed up and moved again in 1989 to Pine Grove, outside of Sacramento, and maintained a store front in Jackson, catering to the tourists heading up the mountain to gamble in Reno.

The cost of living was still tough on a leather craftsman, so the family packed up again in 1992 and moved to northern Idaho, on the east side of Lake Coeur d'Alene, where Connie worked as a sewing machine mechanic for Ferdinand Corp. After four years, Connie was offered a mechanics job at Tex Tan Western in Yoakum, Texas in 1996. By then, the family (except Lise) was tired of shoveling snow and stacking firewood.

By 1993, Connie and Lise were able to reach their personal goal of being sealed to their children in the Oakland Temple. Their activity in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints became a focal part of their lives. Connie enjoyed many years of working with the Young Men's program as a teacher and a Scout leader.He also took great joy in working with young missionaries.

By now, it's pretty obvious that Connie couldn't sit still for very long. So in 1999, when the opportunity arose for the family to invest in the Campbell Bosworth Machinery Company and move it from Ft. Lauderdale, Florida to Yoakum Texas, the family was drafted into yet another adventure. This time it actually proved to provide a living for about 8 to 10 employees. Connie was in his element working on traditional harness stitchers that he had learned to sew on during his saddle making days. Yet that wasn't enough. In 2006, Randall Leather Machinery Corp. came up for sale, and CBMC had done so well that a loan was procured to purchase this classic company too. It proved to be a smart business decision as Connie was able to serve not only small production shops but large factories as well. To his great joy, his sons Dan and Miles, jumped in with all four feet and built on their father's skills of welding and mechanics to incorporate service, training and computerized machines for the leather manufacturing trades.

Connie has always been known for his sense of humor, funny stories, outgoing personality and desire to help others. His mother said he was just like his father; “He never met a stranger!”

After fighting the multiple side-effects of Parkinson's disease the past nine years, Connie was called home to his Heavenly Father on July 20, 2023, at the age of 76, to join his father, mother and brother Luke. He will be missed by his wife and best friend of 43+ years, Jule' Lise Sorensen Naegle; son Dan, wife Ashleigh Smith Naegle – grandchildren Lillian, Ella, Preston and Wyatt; son Miles, wife Diana Todd Naegle – grandchildren Cora, Tobin and Oliver.

Connie will also be missed by his sisters Marion 'Punk' DeRoza-Martin, and Altia Johnson, husband Dan, as well as his nieces Tiffany, Jaime & Alexa, and nephews Dan & John. Along with numerous family and friends who have enjoyed his fun nature. Connie also leaves behind his daughter Geanie Durden-Hollowell, and grandchildren; Lancer, Luther and Cliona.

In writing his life story, Connie hoped that he would be remembered as being “Honest, Truthful, and Generous to my two sons.”

Funeral services will be held August 5th, 2023, 10:00AM at Cashner Funeral Home, 801 Teas Road, Conroe TX 77303. A casual gathering of friends and family will begin at 9:00 AM that morning. Following the funeral, burial will take place behind the funeral home at Garden Park Cemetery. Friends and family are welcome to return to the funeral home gathering room for reminiscing and refreshments.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cashnerconroe.com for the Naegle family.