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Obituary for Gary Allen McNelly Sr.
Gary Allen McNelly Sr., 78, of Stuart passed away on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at the Community Care Center in Stuart after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. Funeral service will be held at 3 P.M. on Wednesday, April 12th at the Johnson Family Funeral Home in Stuart. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Wednesday. Burial will be at Rose Hill Cemetery in Menlo. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Gary McNelly Memorial Fund and sent in care of the funeral home. Online condolences may be left at www.johnsonfamilyfuneralhome.com.
Gary was born to Allen and Mildred McNelly on October 25, 1938 in Menlo, Iowa. Gary was one of six children to the marriage.
Gary was united in marriage to Earline Watson on April 30, 1960 and to that marriage five children were born: Gary Jr., Ronda, Matt, Shawn and Laurie. He was remarried to Jenny and adopted her two children, Shana and Ricky.
On October 29, 1983 he married his longtime friend Marjorie Harrison. Marjorie brought to the marriage three children: Shelly, David and Kevin and a grandson Rusty who they raised.
Gary lived in several places: Menlo, Oregon, Des Moines and finally settling in Stuart. When he was young he lived at the Howe Store south of Stuart and then later on the Bill Hogan Farm. He attended the Jefferson 7 School in rural Stuart. He and his sister Kay would walk the 1 ¾ miles to school and then home again. They would sometimes cut across the field to make the trip shorter.
Gary drove a truck for the Omar Bread Company and drove a truck for Parkison Trucking; he also worked at the Monarch Manufacturing near Adel, Inland Mills hauling flour, Colonial Bakery and Ream Noodles and worked construction in Ames.
Gary enjoyed camping and enjoyed taking his dog Tuffers for rides. He enjoyed his ice cream in the evening while watching TV. He enjoyed his yellow ’64 Chevrolet Impala. He also enjoyed playing cards and dancing.
Those preceding him in death were his parents, Allen and Mildred McNelly; siblings: Marjorie (Fred), Betty (Ted), Maxine and Charles; daughters, Ronda and Shelly; brothers-in-law, Willie Mumford, James Mumford and Carol Ann Coleman.
Those left to remember him are his wife of 34 years, Marjorie; sister, Kay (Mel) Hauf; children: Gary Jr. (Joan), Matthew (Lisa), Shawn (Pam) and Laurie (Dallas); his many grandchildren, many great-grandchildren, nieces nephews and his many friends he made along the way.
He will be missed by all who know and loved him for some of his favorite sayings. “You little rotten puke” – RP- and DW – dip wad.
