Minnie "Mickey" O'Connor

Minnie "Mickey" M. O'Connor, 92, of Fort Dodge, passed away Friday, March 7, 2025, at the Marian Home.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 AM on Friday, March 14, 2025, at Laufersweiler Funeral Home. There will be a private family burial at Corpus Christi Cemetery. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM on Thursday, March 13, 2025, at Laufersweiler Funeral Home.

Mickey is survived by her children, Vickie (Dennis) Berkland, Prior Lake, MN, Dan (Deborah) O'Connor, Fort Dodge, and Don O'Connor, Fort Dodge; son-in-law, Rod Boddicker of Sioux Falls, SD; 11 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren; sister, Helen Bierstedt of Waterloo, nieces and nephews and extended family.

Mickey is preceded in death by her husband, Donald (Doc), daughter Deborah Boddicker, grandson, Jeremy Berkland, parents William and Minnie (Thiele) Mammenga, brothers William, John, Louis, Levi and Orville, and sisters Clara Garret, Frances Bansma, Margaret Leask and Lou Davis as well as several brothers and sister-in laws and extended family.

Minnie Mae Mammenga was born on May 4, 1932, in George, IA. On December 2, 1950, Minnie married Donald O'Connor at Sacred Heart Church they made their home in Fort Dodge. They celebrated 63 yrs of marriage before Donald's death in 2014. Mickey had many careers which included: Carhop, waitress, daycare,and Homemaker health care for 18 years and provided hospice care as well. She actively served as the Vice President of the State of Iowa Postal Union 213 and as the President of the Local #213 Auxiliary. Mickey also volunteered through the community She is a member of Holy Trinity Church.

Above all else Mickey loved and cared for her family.

Mickey loved nature! She watched the birds especially in the winter. She would often bring in the feeders at night to keep the deer from raiding them as well as rapping on the window if the squirrels got too greedy. Wildlife surrounded their property, which she kept an eye on. Mickey watched the sky for both day and night events. There are too many more to list. The house became a gathering place where one could grab a Pb&j sandwich and koolaid or put on plays in the basement.

Mickey was put on this earth to care for others. Throughout their lives have called her Mom, Grandma, and Friend. She was compassionate and loving but could set all straight with a look or words. What you saw was what you got! Feisty and spunky are words that described her well she needed to be that growing up with the time period and tragedies that befell her family. She often said dynamite comes in small packages. Mickey was did not graduate from school but earned her GED later in life. Her education was through common sense, doing, and figuring it out which she shared with others. She was a rock and there were several that leaned on her. Families of those those that she cared for as a health aide or hospice have shared that they believe she extended their life or calmed they as they transitioned through this care by going the extra mile.

Memorials may be left to the discretion of the family.