Connie Saunders

Constance Lea Saunders, 79, died at home under hospice care for Lewy Body dementia on Saturday, October 18, 2025. A visitation will be held at Immanuel United Methodist Church (2900 49th Street, Des Moines, IA) on Friday, October 24, 2025, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. with a memorial service to follow. The service will be officiated by Rev. Trevor Vaughn, and a luncheon will follow the service in Faith Hall. For those unable to attend the service in person, it will be livestreamed through Immanuel UMC’s website. click here

Connie was born on October 16, 1946, to Aileen and Frank Gregoire in Des Moines, Iowa. She was a proud graduate of East High School (Class of ’64) and knew that it was Lee Township against the world.

Connie married Wendell Saunders in 1967 while he was attending Iowa State University. She worked in banking to support them until Wendell graduated in 1968. Unfortunately, only few days after Wendell’s graduation, he was sent to Treasure Island with the United States Naval Reserve. Connie continued in banking until Wendell’s active duty ended in 1969, and she pursued her own degree part-time at Grandview College.

After many years of marriage and pressure from Grandma Gregoire about only having a grand doggy, Connie and Wendell had their first child, Scott. She also received her diploma from Grandview a month after giving birth to their daughter, Dara. Connie became a stay-at-home mom. Connie’s days were busy keeping two kids and a husband happy, cared for, and fed.

After the children started school, Connie jumped back into the employed world. She worked in retail for many years and became a lecture leader for Weight Watchers while working two other part-time jobs. She loved helping people lose weight the right way. Connie served as Immanuel’s church secretary for several years as well. For seven years Connie settled in at Johnston City Hall as the Deputy City Clerk until Donna’s in Valley Junction lured her away. She never brought home a paycheck from Donna’s.

Music was Connie’s passion, from singing in the East High School choir, to musical theater, to playing handbells and singing in the Immanuel UMC choir. Connie costumed for the Des Moines based Drama Workshop for five years, and even got on stage a few times. But her true love was playing handbells with the Immanuel church group for over 45 years. Their group travelled together many times and even played on the Disney stage in Florida.

Connie’s journey with her form of dementia was a long one over many years, and a hard one as she lost skills and abilities a little each day. The activities she loved the most – reading, tatting, performing music, driving her convertible – were lost as time passed. Connie participated in a Broadlawns memory care program that helped her understand what happens with cognitive decline and how changes in lifestyle can delay or prevent that decline. She was interviewed on KCCI and spoke candidly about the pain she was experiencing as the life she knew was slowly being taken away from her.

Connie loved Immanuel UMC. She participated in multiple music groups, led youth fellowship, sang for funerals, and traveled many times for lay mission projects to demonstrate the path Christ shows us to follow. Her handbell group performed often for folks in care facilities, and it warmed her heart to minister to people with music in places where the residents oftentimes have been abandoned and haven’t seen the love of Christ that we all need so desperately. Music was the holy scripture in Connie’s life.

Connie is survived by her husband of 58 years, Wendell; their daughter, Dara and her husband, David; their son, Scott and his wife, Medea; grandchildren, Aenea and Ben; Ben’s wife, Van; and three great grandchildren.

Thank you to the Broadlawns staff (Dr. Shah, Lindsey and Anne); Home Instead care provider Bette; and Hospice care Suncrest. Their care for many years, and especially at the end of Connie’s journey, was greatly appreciated.

Contributions may be made to Immanuel United Methodist Church, the Alzheimer’s Association, or the Dementia Society of America in honor of Connie.

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