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Cynthia (Cindy) Rae Conn, age 71 of Prairie City, died peacefully Sunday, March 19, 2023, at Taylor House Hospice in Des Moines. She was surrounded by many family members and friends. Graveside funeral services will be held on Thursday, March 23, 2023, at 2:00 pm at the Colfax Cemetery. Memorials may be designated to the family and checks made out to Stephanie Reed. Condolences may be left for the family at www.coburnfuneralhomes.com
Cindy graduated from Monroe High school in 1969. After graduation, she began working at the Newton Daily News where she met the love of her life, Dennis Conn. Cindy and Dennis were united in marriage on December 1, 1972. The couple resided in Colfax where Cindy ran a flower shop, Flowers Unlimited, and later worked as a secretary for the Newton Correctional Facility where she retired in 2010. After Dennis became ill and passed away, Cindy moved to Prairie City and found comfort spending time with her family and friends. She especially enjoyed hanging out with her daughter, Stephanie. The two of them spent many hours talking, playing cards and drinking beer. The pair took several trips to South Dakota where Cindy enjoyed exploring the Black Hills.
Cindy spent her free time sewing, embroidering, knitting, making bookmarks for the students at Prairie City Elementary and spending hours on the phone with her sisters, Janice and Teresa. She also enjoyed collecting cookbooks, western books and vintage Pyrex.
Those left to honor Cindy’s memory are her two sisters, Teresa Sparks of Kellogg and Janice Sparks of LeGrand; her three daughters, Dana (James) Jarvis of Ankeny, Jennifer Conn of Prairie City, and Stephanie Conn-Reed of Prairie City; five grandchildren, Lindsey (Aaron) Perrin of Monroe, Lukas Roam of Des Moines, Sabrina Reed (Jaise Gulling) of Newton, Alexis Reed (Owen Ramsey) of Hamilton, OH, and Colby Oswalt of Ames; four great grandchildren; three nieces and nephews, Chad Vriezelaar, Marci McIlrath, Travis Vriezelaar, and her best friend, Bonnie Dority.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Dennis Conn, and parents, Harold Sparks Jr. and Ruby Sparks.