Connie Echols, 76, of Cuba, died on May 2. She was the owner of the Wagon Wheel Motel in Cuba.

Born in Anamosa, Iowa, on Dec. 30, 1949, Echols purchased the motel in September 2009 from the previous owner, Harold Armstrong’s son. 

As the oldest operating motel on Route 66, the Wagon Wheel Motel has been serving people since the late 1930s, but started to go downhill after the passing of Armstrong and his wife.

Echols started with a variety of renovations that included replacing all the plumbing and electrical systems, installing new roofs and modernizing the interiors while trying to preserve details such as the original hardwood floors, wooden doors and glass knobs.

The original 1936 café building, opened by the first owners Robert and Margaret Martin, was turned into Connie’s Shoppe. It was a retail space for Route 66 memorabilia and local gifts while also serving as the motel’s office.

Less than a month before her passing, on April 8, Echols had officially sold the motel to Rich and Christina Dinkela, owners of The Shamrock Court in Sullivan.

She is credited with saving the historic site through her multi-year restoration project.

Her full obituary can be found on page 6A in this week's Cuba Free Press.