Joseph Condon
March 16, 1945 - October 13, 2023

Joe Condon, 78, of Barnum passed away Friday, October 13th, 2023 at his home.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:30 AM on Monday, October 23th, 2023 at Holy Trinity Catholic Church, Fort Dodge. Burial will immediately follow at St. Joseph's Cemetery, Barnum. A visitation will be held from 3:00 to 6:00 PM on Sunday, October 22 nd , 2023, also at Holy Trinity.

Joe is survived by his sons, Jason Condon of West Des Moines, Jim (Martha) Condon of Johnston, Nick Condon of Phoenix, AZ, Kevin (Rachel) Condon of West Des Moines, and Stephen (Kimberly) Condon of Chicago, IL; his grandchildren Jackson and Charles Condon (Jason), Grace, Ryne, Joseph and Theodore Condon (Jim), Emmett, Wyatt and Blaire Condon (Kevin); his sister Mary (Verne) Gongol of West Des Moines; his sisters-in-law Mary Catherine Condon (Eddie) and Patsy Condon (John); and dozens of nieces and nephews that will miss him.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 48 years, Diane; his parents Edmund and Margaret Condon; his sister Franny and brother-in-law Steve McCarville; and his brothers Eddie and John.
Joseph Patrick Condon was born March 16th, 1945, in Fort Dodge. He grew up on the family farm on Highway 7 near Barnum until he graduated from St. Edmond Catholic in 1963. Once he realized academia and the workforce wasn't his cup of tea, he eventually decided to join the Air Force but was released from his commitment before his service started to help run the family farm after his Dad fell ill.

In 1967, Joe joined the U.S. Army Reserves and always spoke fondly of his time in "the service" including his time at Fort Jackson in South Carolina due to the friends and stories he came back to Iowa with. One night, Joe decided to go to the Laramar Ballroom where he ran into his cousin Steve Lawler and his wife Jill. Jill's best friend Diane happened to be there as well that night, and a partnership started that would last for nearly the next half-century.
On February 15th, 1974, he was united in marriage to Diana Flaherty at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Pocahontas. Joe and Diane established their family and farm about a mile from where he grew up outside of Barnum. As they built their family, Joe began working for Farmers Mutual Insurance as a claims adjuster and began a career in the insurance industry with time spent at Security Mutual, Scandinavian Mutual, Central Iowa Mutual, the Riehl Insurance Agency, and the Woodard Insurance Agency. His time in the industry afforded him friends that he loved, respected, and leaned on right up until the end. While Joe found purpose in his 9 to 5, he preferred to be working on the farm. Condon Brothers Farm was established in the 1960s and with his older brother John, Joe would spend the next 50 years looking forward to driving green tractors around Barnum, raising hogs, and teaching his sons the highs (and lows) of the noblest profession there is. Joe loved being outside and loved watching things grow. He became quite the conservationist in his adult life and invested a great deal of time and energy planting trees and gardens which brought him a great deal of joy. It wasn't uncommon for Joe to drive around with apples, sweet corn, tomatoes, cucumbers and other produce from his hobby that he'd insist his friends, clients or perhaps even complete strangers, should take. Over the past year, Joe
brightened many Webster County residents' day by delivering blueberry scones from Fareway to their homes and offices as a sign of appreciation for how the community responded when he needed help.

Joe had a kind and respectful way about him and would have appreciated being remembered as a
gentleman, something he strived hard to instill in his sons. No more important example was made
through how he treated and loved his wife. Joe and Diane, in addition to the daily roller coaster of
raising 5 boys, weathered the Farm Crisis, a year-long home renovation, and several family health
challenges throughout their marriage. Yet, their bond became stronger and their devotion was
reciprocated time and time again. Over the past decade, Joe took on the role of caregiver to Diane and put his "MacGyver" skills to good use rigging the farm up in a way that made it possible for them to continue to take care of each other there. After Diane passed, Joe remained on the farm but things just weren't the same. Joe still participated in many of the events he did before, including his grandchildren's games, performances and birthday parties, which always brought him joy to experience the energy of the next generation of his family. However, after experiencing a full year of "firsts" without Diane, Joe's heart decided he had been through enough. He lived on his farm right up until his final moments, which is how he wanted it to be.
In addition to his service in the Army Reserves, Joe was proud of his membership and service to many community organizations including the Webster County Crime Stoppers, the Manson Northwest Webster School Board, Farm Safety 4 Just Kids, the Barnum Volunteer Fire Department, Knights of Columbus, and the Iowa Railroad Historical Society.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that you perform an act of kindness for another, like buying scones for someone you appreciate. Memorials will be used at the family's discretion.

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