Gene Leroy Sickels, son of Maxine (Lance) Sickels and Cecil Leroy Sickels, was born November 28th, 1929. Surrounded by family, he passed away December 17th 2020 in the Ringgold County Hospital, Mt. Ayr, IA at the age of 91 due to complications caused by COVID-19. Gene’s ashes will be interred in the family plot at Maple Row Cemetery in Kellerton, IA during a private grave side service next spring or as COVID-19 conditions permit.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to Eagleville church of Christ, Mt. Ayr Library or EveryStep Care.
Gene went into the Navy in 1951 and served on the USS Hanson DDR 832 as a Fire Control Technician through 1954.
On July 4th, 1952 he married Marjorie Lucille Green. After the Navy he began farming a few miles from his father near Mt. Ayr, eventually farming over 1300 acres. Gene and Marjorie were wed for many happy years until she passed away from cancer July 6th, 1991. He married Barbara Faye Stanley on March 21st, 1993. Gene always said he was blessed to have found two such remarkable women in his lifetime. Gene and Barbara moved from the farm to Mt. Ayr in the late summer of 2003.
Gene was always interested in the welfare of his community. He was a director at Rideta Electric in Mt. Ayr from 1976 to 1982 and a member of the Eagleville church of Christ for many years serving as president of the board from 2017 to 2019.
Gene enjoyed church, family, farming, fishing, and coyote hunting but most of all visiting with his friends and family during these activities. He talked often of trips taken to fish for catfish in Canada, travelling through Yellowstone and the Black Hills and going on the wheat harvest. In his spare time Gene loved to read military history from the Civil War through current times.
Gene is survived by his wife Barbara; his son, David Sickels and wife Carol Hamilton of Lake Saint Louis, MO and David’s sons Adam of St. Louis, MO and Alex (and Alex’s daughter Lily) of St, Peters, MO; his son, Tom and Jane Sickels of Cedar Rapids, IA and their son Matthew; his brother, Mack and Phyllis Sickels of Mt. Ayr, IA; his brother William Glen and Ann Sickels of Brennan, TX; Barb’s son, Perry and Kristen Stanley of Jewell, IA, and their son Zach (and Zach’s children Sammy and Quentin) of Stratford, IA and their daughter Beth of Menominee, WI; Barb’s daughter, Debra Lundy of Eagleville, MO and her two sons Tyler and Aaron.
Gene was preceded in death by his parents Cecil and Maxine Sickels; his wife Marjorie, her parents Orville and Opal Greene; his brother Lynn; Richard Walters; and son-in-law Bill Lundy.
The family wishes to extend a special thanks to Christine Doubleday of EveryStep Care for her help. Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr is in charge of the arrangements.