Lonnie Allen Conger joined his heavenly father on Monday, January 2, 2012 at Crest Health Center, Ridgecrest Village, Davenport, Iowa. Funeral services will be held at Runge Mortuary Chapel, Friday, January 6, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. Visitation will be Thursday from 4:00p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Runge Mortuary, with Masonic services to follow, which will be open to all. Memorials may be made to Faith United Methodist Church, Shriners Hospital, Gideons International, Ridgecrest Village or your favorite charity. Burial will be in the National Cemetery, Rock Island, Illinois. American Legion Post 26 will do the military service. Online condolences may be made at www.TheRungeMortuary.com
Lonnie was born November 29, 1917 at Marne, Iowa, the son of John and Mary (Kerr) Conger. He was a 1934 graduate of Bayard (Iowa) High School. He was a 1939 graduate of Iowa Welding Institute, Des Moines, Iowa.
He was united in marriage to Bertha Jennings on July 2, 1939 at the Wesley Methodist Church Parsonage, Muscatine, IA.
Lonnie was a Navy Veteran of World War II, serving aboard the Aircraft Carrier U.S.S. Wasp in the Pacific Area at Okinawa, Iwo Jima, and the Japanese mainland. He returned to Davenport in October 1945 after serving six years of active duty in the Navy. He then served 30 years in the Naval Reserve retiring as a Master Chief Aircraft Maintenance Man.
He spent eighteen years with Standard Oil Company, and was superintendent for ten years in charge of warehousing and distribution for twenty-five counties in southeast Iowa plus Rock Island County in Illinois. He retired from the U.S. Army Weapons Command as an Inventory Management Specialist after serving 23 years that covered two time periods. He retired in 1983 after five years as a Real Estate Salesman with Ruhl & Ruhl Realtors.
Lonnie was a Charter Member of Calvary United Methodist Church, Walcott and Faith United Methodist Church, Davenport, where he served as Lay Leader, Administrative Board member, Sunday School Teacher, Lay Delegate to Iowa Methodist Church Annual Conference for several years, Iowa Annual Conference Trustee for eight years, District Lay Leader and District Lay Speaker for several years.
He held life memberships in the American Military Society, American Veterans Association, American Legion, Forty & Eight Voiture Nationale, Fleet Reserve Association, Naval Enlisted Reserve Association, The Retired Enlisted Association, and Veterans of Foreign Wars. He was Past Commander of the Iowa American Legion.
He was Past President of Gideons International of Iowa, Life Member of the National Association of Retired Federal Employees and Past President of the Iowa Association of Chapters, Past President Iowa-South Dakota High Twelve Association and Davenport High Twelve Club, Past Prelate of Grand Commandery Knights Templar of Iowa, Past Chaplain Royal Arch Masons of Iowa, Past Commander of St. Simon of Cyrene Commandery No. 9-K.T., Past Illustrious Master of Scott Council No. 53, Past High Priest Davenport Chapter No. 16, R.A.M., Life member of National Sojourners, past Master of Trinity Lodge No. 208, past Potentate KAABA Shrine, member of Brubaker Lodge No. 675, Davenport Scottish Rite and Mohassan Grotto. Dad devoted his life to the service of others.
Lonnie and Bertha traveled many miles to attend meetings, conferences and conventions related to the many organizations of which Lonnie was a member. As a result they visited all fifty United States plus many foreign countries.
Lonnie and his wife, Bertha had many years of carefree, easy living at Ridgecrest Retirement Village, Davenport, Iowa. Family was very important to Lonnie and Bertha and their many traveled miles allowed them to include visits to immediate family members as well as relatives some of which they discovered through genealogy research.
Those left to honor his memory include his wife Bertha, and his children, daughter: Janice DePover(Bill) Davenport, and sons: Cary Alan (Carole) Sac City; Larry Allan (Lin), East Derry, New Hampshire; six grandchildren: John Conger (Kristine Minami), Maryland; Christopher Conger, Nevada; Kent Vensland (Jane), Virginia; Kathy Nohia (Joe), Illinois, Marnee Michalman (Christopher), New Hampshire, and Amanda MacDonald, Maine, nine great-grandchildren; brothers: Dale (Kay) Conger, Davenport; Gerald (Jean) Conger, Benton, Pennsylvania, and Marvin (Judy) Conger, Davenport, and his faithful friend, Dick Winterlin.
Lonnie was preceded in death by his parents, and infant son, Steven Arthur, three brothers: G. Allen, C. Max, Kenneth, three sisters: Elsie Dooley, Hazel Powers and Helen Banks; half sisters: Minnie, Gladys, Maude, May and Phillis; half brothers: George, Roscoe, Clyde and John plus many nieces and nephews.
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