Gilbert Lee McConnell Indianola Gilbert Lee McConnell passed away on Friday, June 5, 2015. Visitation is at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Indianola from 3 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10, with family present beginning at 4 p.m. A rosary will follow at 7:30 p.m. Services will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 11, at St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church. Burial with full military rites will follow at Indianola I.O.O.F. Cemetery. Gilbert Lee McConnell, the younger child of Byron and Mabel McConnell, was born on September 5, 1922. He grew up on the largest dairy farm (there were four cows) in Bussey, Iowa. Gib and his brother, Jack, both proud Chicago Cubs fans, attended the 1938 World Series between the Cubs and New York Yankees. As a multisport athlete and at just 5ˈ1ʺ, he was a key component of the basketball team, in charge of keeping the balls clean. Gib was proud of his starting position on the nine-player baseball team. In 1939 Gib was class president of the "Bees" and graduated from Bussey High School. With World War II breaking out in 1941, Gib enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps with the dream of being a pilot. After graduating from ground school and 30 hours of flight training, he was reassigned as a mechanic. He was then sent to Michigan for B-24 mechanic training at the Ford Motor Company's Willow Run factory. He was assigned to the Sioux City Army Air Base as a mechanic on the flight line until the war ended. He got out of the service on Friday, bought the Bussey Cafe on Saturday, and went to work on Monday with no previous restaurant experience. In the early 1950s he started McConnell Wholesale and bought the Knoxville Beverage Company Bottling Works. He always said O-So Grape was his top seller. In 1951 he married Dorene Vercellino in Knoxville, Iowa. The couple met thanks to a stranded ice cream delivery man. Gib fell in love with Dorene's feisty Italian demeanor, her love for cooking, and her sheer beauty. She was his "little flower." With a quest to move to the city, Gib purchased the A&W Drive-In franchise rights for Indianola in 1955. The A&W marketing slogan and the idea that operators worked six months and earned a full year's salary impressed Gib. He built and opened the original root beer stand in the spring of 1956. This is where he and Dorene raised their family of four children, teaching them the restaurant business from the time they could reach the counter. After introducing root beer and hot dogs to Indianola, the A&W became a local landmark and Gib became a legendary Indianola icon (according to him!). Beyond Indianola, Gib and Dorene took their ownership endeavors north and operated two A&Ws in Des Moines. He was proud of his service on the A&W National Advisory Council. Recognizing Indianola's need for a Catholic church, Gib and Dorene were one of the six founding families of St. Thomas Aquinas in 1957. Gib believed in being an active part of the community. He supported the Indianola Community Schools and served on the Warren County Fair Board, the Indianola Chamber of Commerce, and the board of the original Peoples Bank, among others. He was also a Cub Scout Master and a member of the American Legion Post 165, the Knights of Columbus, and Indianola Rotary Club with recognition as a Paul Harris Fellow. He is credited with contributing thousands of dollars for the handicapped citizens of Warren County through his Coffee Day fundraising efforts. Along with the "little flower," he loved and continuously supported hot air ballooning in Indianola since the event's arrival in 1971. Another love was the Iowa State Fair. He was proud of his daily attendance as the barker for the Old Time Soda Fountain and was honored as Iowan of the Day in 1999. Gib was a lifelong writer. He wrote the monthly Iowa A&W newsletter for more than 40 years and a monthly column for the Iowa Restaurant Association, "Know Your Neighbor Operator," for more than 10 years. One of his proudest accomplishments was publishing his autobiography, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow with Gib McConnell, which sold more than 600 copies. He donated all proceeds to local causes. Reflecting on his many years of work, he often said, "I lived a big life for a little guy. Live a big life!" Gib is survived by his four children, Pat (Lynn), Sandy Scaia, Larry, and Tim (Shelli); his six grandchildren, Megan (Tom) Hughes, Ross (Dixie) McConnell, Anna McConnell, Hattie McConnell, James McConnell, and Gracie McConnell; and his four great-grandchildren, Hannah Hughes, Sarah Hughes, Henry Hughes, and Cooper McConnell. He was preceded in death by his wife, his parents, his brother, one grandchild, and one great-grandchild. Memorials may be given to Warren County Fair and the National Balloon Classic. Online condolences may be made at www.overtonfunerals.com.