Obituary of Conrad Robert Gregg

West Liberty, Iowa

Conrad Robert Gregg passed away Friday, June 1, 2018 at Simpson Memorial Home due to cancer. 

Funeral service will be held 10:00 A.M. Thursday, June 7, 2018 at the Community Center 1204 North Calhoun St. , West Liberty. Visitation will be held Wednesday from 4 to 7 P.M. at the Community Center. Burial will be in the Oak Ridge Cemetery, West Liberty. The Henderson-Barker Funeral Home in West Liberty is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences may be made to the family  at www.hendersonbarkerfuneralhome.com. Memorials may be made to West Liberty Heritage Foundation.

He was born May 26, 1935 and lived in the house that his great-grandfather, Conrad Hormel, built in 1868.  Later his family moved to a farm south of West Liberty.  He was the son of Robert and Leola (Spinden) Gregg and a descendant of many of the first settlers to arrive in Iowa in the 1830s.  He graduated from West Liberty High School in 1954.  He was a star athlete in football, basketball and track.  He held a high school record for many years in track and medaled at the district meets. 

In 1956 he joined the Air Force.  He married his high school sweetheart, Mildred Heckart, on April 4, 1958.  After leaving the Air Force he became a radar technician for the Federal Aviation Administration(FAA).  He began his career in Indianapolis Indiana, then moved to Aurora, Illinois and when a position became available in 1972 near West Branch, Conrad moved his family back to his hometown of West Liberty.    He and his wife Milly built many duplexes, houses and apartment buildings themselves and later with the help of contractors.  They owned many businesses including 2 Casey General Store franchises, The Enterprise newspaper and WLTV which broadcast local events on the local cable TV channel.  They always looked out for the good of the community and were involved in community organizations including the Library Board and Rotary Club where he was a Paul Harris Fellow recipient as well as other award.  After retiring from the FAA in 1982 he worked for Kessler Electric and Liberty Realty, his wife and daughter’s property management business.  Finally retiring in 2015. He was very interested in West Liberty History and was President of the West Liberty Historical Society.  He gave monthly talks which were broadcast on the local channel called Brown Bag lunches highlighting various historical buildings. He also volunteered over 20 years at the Midwest Central Railroad in Mt. Pleasant.

Survivors include brother David Gregg of Nichols, sister Caroline Nichols of Aiken, South Carolina, daughter Jeanie (Jim) Thurston, son Jerry Gregg of Minnesota, Grandchildren, Shawna(Josh) Earel, Stacey(Ben) Wojdak, Keith Chapman, Kara Spurrell of Coralville and a great-grandchild.  His wife preceded him in death in 1997.