David L. “Shaky” Plendl

David L. “Shaky” Plendl
October 29, 1935 – November 7, 2019

He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ann; parents, Helen and Harry Plendl; brother, Kenny; sister, LuEllen Woodley. He is survived by his son, David W. (Melinda); daughter, Jeanne Bruce (Robert); step-daughter, Amie Jankowski Bugay (Nick); 3 grandchildren; sisters, Dorothy Sorenson, Paula Ball, Mary Trout; brothers, Larry Plendl, Joseph Plendl; other relatives and friends.

I was born October 29, 1935, at a hospital in Le Mars, Iowa, the oldest of 8 children born to Harry and Helen Plendl. I grew up on a farm 1 mile north and 4 miles west of Kingsley, IA. I went through 8th grade in a 1-room school, Elkhorn No. 5. I had the same teacher all 9 grades. I graduated from Kingsley High School in 1953. I came to Omaha in the fall of 1953 and went to Commercial Extension where I took accounting. In March,1954, I went to work for Standard Oil, which is BP now, at a tank farm in Council Bluffs, IA. I worked there until January 1958, when I went to work for Paul Gilligan at the Standard Oil bulk plant in Irvington, NE. I was drafted into the US Army in August 1958. I went to Ft Carson, CO, for basic training then Ft Gordon, GA for signal school. From there, on a ship across the Atlantic where I spent 16 months in Verdon, France, the dirtiest city in the world, but I loved Barcelona, Spain. I got to France, Germany, Luxembourg, Belgium. I saw Uncle Billy Bradley’s grave where he was killed in World War II. His body was brought home and he is buried in Le Mars, IA. I flew home in July 1960, in a prop plane. We stopped at Prestwick, Scotland, and Gander, Newfoundland, so I saw a lot of countries I never would have.

I got out of the service in July 1960 and went back working for Paul Gilligan running the Standard Oil bulk plant at Irvington until he retired and closed it in 1976. I worked at Vaughn Oil Company until 1981 when I started at Anderson Fire Equipment in the shop. I worked there until 1992, when they sold it to Firemaster. I started with General Fire Equipment and stayed there until I retired January 1, 2016 at 80 years old. Additionally, I was a volunteer fireman with Irvington Fire Department from 1962-1978 and I was the treasurer for 13 years.

On October 12, 1961, I married Margaret Hazelton. David W. was born in 1962 and daughter Jeanne on Father’s Day, 1966. Our marriage didn’t last. Margaret died in 1989 at age 52. Then I married MaryAnn Bugay on December 28, 1995. MaryAnn died November 14, 2013. On March 24,2016, I fell down a flight of cement steps and broke my glasses and right elbow which didn’t heal, and the VA put a plastic elbow in. Jeanne flew in and had me move to St Joseph Tower Assisted Living where I wrote this on March 29, 2019.

I want to thank Amie Jankowski Bugay for helping me after MaryAnn died. She got married in October 2018, but we still texted during the week.

FAMILY RECEIVES FRIENDS: Monday, November 11, 2019, 5:00-7:00PM. SERVICES: Tuesday, November 12, 2019, 10:30 AM, West Center Chapel.,
Interment Omaha National Cemetery, with Military Honors.
Memorials will be directed by the family.