Oliver Mcconnell

Oliver John McConnell, age 90 of Belle Plaine, passed away on Thursday, October 5, 2017 at St. Gertrude's in Shakopee after a courageous battle with rheumatoid arthritis and its secondary complications. Funeral service will be at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, October 10th at Trinity Ev. Lutheran Church in Belle Plaine. Rev. Tim Redfield will officiate. Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. on Monday at the Kolden Funeral Home in Belle Plaine and continue one hour prior to the service at church on Tuesday morning. Interment will be in Oakwood Cemetery in Belle Plaine. Oliver was born in Blakeley Township on April 7, 1927 to Archie and Meta (Glock) McConnell. He was the 6th of 7 surviving children. He attended school through 8th grade at Salisbury School District 55. He quit high school after attending one year. Oliver worked a year in the family farm, and then returned to high school, finishing two more years. World War II interrupted high school education, when he enlisted in the US Navy on August 3, 1945. He served on the USS Nevada, which transported troops to and from Hawaii. After his discharge from the Navy, Oliver returned to the Belle Plaine High School and graduated with the class of 1947. He joked that he could attend three different class reunions because he was a member of the classes 1945, 1946 and 1947. Oliver continued his education in Kansas City, MO graduating in 1948 from auto mechanics school. However, his lifetime occupation was steam engineering, 20 years at MN Valley Drying Plant in Belle Plaine and 28 years at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis. He learned the steam trade while he was in the Navy. He was a lifetime member of the VFW and the American Legion. He also was a member of the Operating Engineers Union and the P.O.L.K. of A. He met his future wife, Laura Otto at an anniversary dance at Mertz's Hall in Jordan. They married on June 10, 1949 and made their home in Belle Plaine, living in the same house for over 60 years. They were blessed with seven children: Joanne McConnell of Belle Plaine, Dave (Joleen) of Lake Elmo, Ronald (Lynn) of Belle Plaine, Bonni of Minneapolis, Keith (special friend Michelle) of Foster City, CA and twins, Lee (Sheila) of Brooklyn Park and James of Belle Plaine. Oliver loved to dance. He danced to old time and modern music and he enjoyed the Latin dances. He even danced after double hip replacement and knee replacements. Laura was his dancing partner for nearly 70 years. After Laura first met Oliver, she wrote to her sister Adeline, that he was such a good dancer! His other interests were playing the piano by ear, working on cars, hobby farming, and in his younger years, hunting and fishing. Traveling was one of his favorite interests, and he traveled to every state except Alaska. He loved music, an interest that he passed on to his children. All seven of his children took piano lessons, most of them through eighth grade. Although he didn't often show it outwardly, Oliver's family was important to him. He told many stories and shared his wisdom from his chair at the dinner table. He gave his family "hands on" experience in car maintenance and repair, farming and reading a roadmap. He took the children fishing from the shore, from a boat and his fish house. His 10hp Johnson outboard motor that he bought new in the 1950's was one of his prized possessions. His devoted wife of 68 years, his children and their spouses survived him. Oliver is also survived by his youngest brother Lyle (Elveramae) McConnell, sisters-in-law, Marian McConnell and Betty McConnell, nine grandchildren, Jonathan and Joel Brenke, Elizabeth, Mark and John McConnell, Tyler and Sarah McConnell, and Christopher and Justin McConnell, eleven great grandchildren, Chase, Electra, Sierra, Dietrick, PenniJo, Matthew, Kaleigh, Helena, Rosa, Ethan, Catalina and Elizabeth, two step granddaughters and spouses and six step great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews and his dancing friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, sisters, LaVerne Malz, Marian Stoppelmann, infant sister Irene, brothers Ervin, Everett and Arnold, stepfather Oscar Erdman, stepbrother Deloss Erdman, sister in law Ida McConnell, brothers in law Theodore Malz and Fred Stoppelmann. As Oliver would say, "My work is done."

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