Constance Lewis

Constance J. Lewis, 86, of Columbus Junction, passed away on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. Funeral services will be held on Friday, February 26, 2016 at 10:30 a.m. at the Stacy-Lewis Home for Funeral and Cremation Services. Casket bearers will be Connie?s sons and grandsons. Interment will be in the Columbus City Cemetery. Following the interment, a time of food and fellowship will be held at the Columbus Junction United Methodist Church. Visitation for Connie will be held on Thursday, February 25, 2016 at the funeral home from 1:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. with the family present from 2:00 p.m. ? 4:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. ? 8:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Columbus Community Library in Connie?s name. Sympathy notes may be left for the family at www.lewisfuneralhomes.com.

Constance Jean Stacy was born on August 7, 1929 in Washington, Iowa, the daughter of Victor and Grace L. (Garbry) Stacy. She was raised in Wayland, Iowa and graduated from Wayland High School at the age on 16. She attended Parsons College and taught at Shiloh Country School in Washington County. On April 9, 1948 Constance was united in marriage to Warren D. Lewis, Jr. in the chapel at Parsons College in Fairfield, Iowa. In 1961 Warren and Connie moved to Columbus Junction to assist Victor and Grace Stacy in serving the Columbus Community and surrounding areas by providing funeral and ambulance services through the Stacy-Lewis Funeral Home. Together they worked tirelessly for the ambulance service and for the surrounding communities. They were the first two of three EMTA?s in Louisa County and received an EMT state association honor for their service. Together they established the County First Responders of Conesville, Letts and Grandview while providing all the education and equipment for each responder. They also spearheaded EMT-A and Q.R.S. educational classes and served on the Southeast Iowa Emergency Medical Services Council and Louisa County Emergency Medical Services Board.

Connie believed in equality of all races, a volunteer for Justice for Your Neighbors, a past president of Columbus Community Club, past president of Chapter R of TTT, Chair of Human Concerns and Originator of the River Junction Function, Chair of 1st Civic Center Golf Outing Benefit and member and past chair of the Layman Review Board Committee for the Louisa County Home. She was a past secretary of the Columbus Lions, where she received the Warren Coleman award for her service. Connie was a member of the Columbus Junction United Methodist Church where she served on many boards and committees. She was on the Building Board of the Columbus Junction United Methodist Church, created Christmas in July at the church and was the keeper of the island garden in front of the church. She initiated the interest in the Safe Haven for Babies Law through Local Legislators and was a volunteer at Louisa County Birthright. She bagged sandbags at the 2008 river levee flooding disaster in Columbus Junction and created a Food Pantry for a Week. Connie raised money for the building of the Columbus Community Pool, mentored children and teens for fun and for their higher education. She also loved games, playing bridge, duplicate bridge, golfing with friends and family, and participating with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Connie also enjoyed traveling with her husband, Warren, especially to Africa where they helped to promote her education and sponsoring a child, Joan Ritho, as one of their own. Joan is now a Ph.D in cancer research at the University of Texas Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas.

Connie will be deeply missed by her husband, Warren D. Lewis, Jr. of Columbus Junction; four sons, Steven Lewis and his wife, Debbie of Queen Creek, Arizona, D. Stacy Lewis and his wife, Patty of Muscatine, W. Douglas Lewis, III and his wife, Kathy of San Carlos, California and Christian Lewis and his wife, Angie, also of San Carlos; eight grandchildren, Tina, Charity, Calista, David, Dominique, Trisha, Alexis and Brittany; and thirteen great-grandchildren, Ava, Aydren, Tyler, Trevion, Reagan, Zachary, Johannah, Marc, Trinity, Gracie, Karolina, Colby and Caleb.

She was preceded in death by her parents and grandson, Craig S. Lewis.