Connie Plank

Connie Plank, 85, of Des Moines, died Wednesday, April 30, 2025, at home at Wesley on Grand retirement community in Des Moines.

She was born April 4, 1940, in Shenandoah, Iowa, the daughter of Gerald and Jean Scotton, and grew up on her family’s farm near Northboro, Iowa.

She trained at Iowa Methodist School of Nursing in Des Moines and became a registered nurse. She served many years as a public health nurse in Louisa County, in southeast Iowa.

She married Charles “Chuck” Plank in 1961, and they settled near Columbus City, Iowa. From 1963 until Chuck died in 2013, they owned and operated a farm implement dealership, Plank Implement.

Connie served as a nurse for the Louisa County Head Start at its inception and was also instrumental in the Meals on Wheels program in Columbus Junction before beginning work with the Louisa County Public Health in the 1970s.

Connie and Chuck were honored by being named parade marshals for Columbus Junction’s Columbus Days and the Columbus City’s 125th anniversary parade.

She moved to Des Moines in 2017, joining the Wesley on Grand retirement community, where she wrote profiles on the service history of military veterans who were residents there. She read books to the vision-impaired, compiled stories about life growing up in southwest Iowa and was known for decorating her mobility scooter with flashing holiday lights for Christmas. She was also known for unprompted and enthusiastic singing as she tried to encourage sing-a-longs everywhere she went.

Connie was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Chuck, her son, Andrew, and her son-in-law, Ben Morin. She is survived by her sister Bonnie Vaage (Birger Vaage), of Heggedal, Norway; her daughter, Jodie Morin (Tom Wessman) of Storm Lake, Iowa; her son, Shawn (Susan Patterson Plank) of Urbandale, Iowa; and daughter-in-law Susan Plank of North Liberty, Iowa. She is also survived by six grandchildren: Emma and Katherine Morin, Samuel and Thomas Plank, and Zachary and Brennan Plank.

A memorial service will be 1:00 p.m., Sunday, May 4, 2025, at Wesley on Grand at 3520 Grand Ave., in Des Moines. Graveside services will be held 1:00 p.m., Monday, May 5, 2025, at Columbus City Cemetery, in Columbus City, Iowa.

Memorials in Connie’s memory may be made to The ALS Association, the American Cancer Society or St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

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