Gary Pennell

Gary Leroy Pennell, 71, of Marshalltown died early Tuesday morning, July 21st, 2009, at Westbrook Acres in Gladbrook. A celebration of Garys life will be 1:00 p.m. Friday, July 24th at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home. Visitation will be 5:00-7:00 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. He will be laid to rest in Rose Hill Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be directed to the family. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. The Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Gary and his family, phone 641-844-1234. Gary was born in Marshalltown on April 21st, 1938 to parents Kenneth and Mildred (Hild) Pennell. He grew up in, and attended school in Marshalltown, graduating in 1956. Gary was united in marriage to Diane Rinehart at the Little Brown Church in Nashua. They later divorced. Gary had resided in Albion, Garwin, and Grinnell before returning to Marshalltown in 2006. He had worked hauling furniture, then for Stewart Construction, Fisher Controls, and retired from Certain-Teed in Grinnell.Gary had also been in the National Guard. Gary enjoyed gardening, waterskiing, sledding, bicycling, horseback riding, hobby farming with a team of horses, spending time at the cabin at Holiday Lake, and even built his own 16-foot sailboat. Left to celebrate Garys life is his companion Dena Graff of Marshalltown, his son Chris (Mary) Pennell of New Mexico, his daughter SuEllen Pennell of Iowa City, son Scott Pennell of Montour, and daughter Beth Pennell of Iowa City; 13 grandchildren; many great-grandchildren; his sisters Beverly Pennell of Iowa City and Karen (Kent) Willis of Lake City; several nieces and cousins; as well as many friends. In death, Gary has rejoined his parents and his son Mark (1996).