Memorial
Floyd E. Ondler, 94, of Cedar Rapids, died Sunday, December 31, 2017 at Sunny View Care Center in Ankeny, after a lifetime of playing cards and telling stories. Funeral Service: 11:00 am Friday, January 5, 2017 at Cedar Memorial Chapel of Memories. A visitation will be held from 4-6 pm Thursday, January 4, 2018 at Cedar Memorial Funeral Home. Burial: Cedar Memorial Park Cemetery.
Floyd was born July 25, 1923 to Estle Dewey and Millie Marie (Valenta) Ondler in Troy Mills, Iowa. His parents moved to a farm in Walker where Floyd grew up. He graduated from Walker High School and joined the Marine Corp. During his three years oversees, he survived the sinking of a ship, four invasions; Tinian, Saipan, Timken, Okinawa, and spent four months in Nagasaki after the bombing. Floyd was honored to join the Freedom Flight to Washington DC in 2011.
He returned to Cedar Rapids and married Mary Ella Chambers on August 17, 1946. They had two sons, Rex and Jay.
Floyd worked at Cherry Burrell for six years before finding his true calling, selling cars for over thirty years. He was an award winning car salesman as noted in Time Magazine 1973 edition and again in 1977. Floyd also collected antique cars and was a member of the Early Ford V-8 Club, Mustang and T-Bird Club. He and Mary spent many enjoyable years showing their antique cars at car shows around Eastern Iowa. Floyd was an active member of many organizations including; The American Legion, VFW, Eagles, The Moose Lodge, and charter member of the Marion Optimist Club. He was a member of First Lutheran Church for nearly seventy years.
Survivors include his son, Rex (Sue) Ondler of Ankeny, IA; two grandchildren, Jeff (Laura) Ondler of Cedar Rapids, Amy Ondler of Spencer, IA; step-granddaughter, Kate (Tony) Kanne; great-grandchildren, Olivia and William Kanne of Johnston; niece and nephews, Lyle (Vicki) Smith of Jewell, IA, Linda (Doug) Wilson of Cedar Rapids, Brad (Cindy) Chambers of Strawberry Point, Brent (Cheryl) Chambers of Bellevue, IA, and Curt Becker of Newhall.
He was preceded in death by his wife, Mary; son, Jay; parents, two sisters, Myrtle Smith, Lucille Ondler; three brothers-in-law, MerwIn Smith, Dean Becker, Harold “Red” Chambers; two sisters-in-law, Beulah Becker, Joyce Chambers; and special friend, Phyllis Kuda.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the American Heart Association or the Alzheimer’s Association in memory of Floyd.