Dr. John R. Conley, 92, of Merrill, passed away on Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, at Floyd Valley Healthcare in Le Mars. He was an AASV member from 1988 through 1994.
John Richard Conley was born on Oct. 16, 1931, on a farm five miles west of Kingsley, the son of James Edward and Elva (Mills) Conley. He attended rural school, Elkhorn #9 until the 6th grade and then his family moved to a farm in Woodbury County. He graduated from Anthon High School in 1949. John enrolled at Iowa State University, graduating with a degree in Veterinary Medicine in 1955.
John enlisted in the United States Army Veterinary Corps where he was stationed primarily in the New York City area inspecting animal products being shipped overseas. Following his Honorable Discharge from the Army, he entered a veterinary practice in southwest Iowa at Coin. While there, John was active in the town council, volunteer fire department, church board and community club. John married Aurelia Osterman and they were blessed with six children.
In 1961, John moved to Le Mars, and started a practice with emphasis on food animal medicine. Although his entire life had been agriculture orientated, he was active in the community and county. Some activities include coaching Little League baseball and softball, Boy Scout Leader, Le Mars Community School Board, NW Iowa School Board Association, active with St. George’s Episcopal Church (Sr. Warden and Lay Reader), founding board member of the Work Activity Center (now Life Skills Training Center), PACT committee member, past president of the Merrill Lions Club, membership chair of Oleson – Halweg American Legion Post #125, Director, Plymouth County Extension Council, Plymouth County Cancer Crusade, Plymouth County Outstanding ISU Alumni and Iowa 4-H Hall of Fame in 2005.
John was active in his profession not only with food animals but with pets and exotic animals. He served on the executive board of the Iowa Veterinary Medicine Association (53 years) and served all capacities in several local veterinary medicine associations. He served on a volunteer basis as the Plymouth County Fair veterinarian for 52 years, never missing a single day of the fair. John judged the pet show the first 24 years it was held.
He conducted many seminars and training sessions for local farmers relating to animal health. John was one of the first veterinarians in northwest Iowa to provide fertility evaluation for bulls for breeding soundness, later expanding to boars and rams. During his professional career, he worked actively with other veterinarians in Iowa and saw the near eradication of four major diseases, Tuberculosis, Brucellosis, Hog Cholera (the last cases in Iowa were diagnosed in his practice) and Pseudorabies.
John was actively engaged in farming in Woodbury and Plymouth County for over 20 years and practiced soil and water conservation with contouring, terraces and water retaining structures. A large dam and wildlife area constructed in Washington Township was sold by John to the Le Mars Sportsman Club as a wildlife refuge. He and his wife, Barbara (married July 14, 1979) took care of the Plymouth County Fair Belgian Draft horses and started a herd of their own. John and Barbara were instrumental in starting a draft horse exhibit at the fair. He and other draft horse owners created a small-scale farming operation using horses and equipment to farm as it was done many years ago.
Grateful to have shared his life is his wife, Barbara (Burkauzer) Conley of Merrill; six children and their spouses, Tim and Beth Conley of Le Mars, Dan and Barbara Conley of Yorktown, Virginia, Jim and Deb Conley of Le Mars, Joel and Lori Conley of Merrill, Susan and Rick Dreckman of Kansas City, Missouri and Tom and Kristien Conley of Greeley, Colorado; 17 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; a sister -in-law, Dixie Clark of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; a family friend, Betty Hughes of Lancaster, Pennsyvania; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; a great-grandson, Luke Allen; brother, Don Conley; and a sister-in-law, Dolores Conley.
Funeral services were held on Thursday, Aug. 15.
[Source: nwestiowa.com 13 August 2024]