Lamson, Edward Benjamin (1917-1999)

LAMSON, CRAWFORD, STEENHOCK, MENNINGA, BURNEY, FERGUSON, JOHNSON, SCHOENTHALER, NIEDERWERFER, BROUWER, DE KORTE

Posted By: Debbie Greenfield (email)
Date: 12/12/2020 at 10:52:00

Daily Freeman Journal, Webster City, Iowa, Thursday, April 8, 1999

Edward B. Lamson, 81, Webster City, died Wednesday, April 7, 1999 at his home. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the First Congregational Church in Webster City with Rev. Keith Purscell officiating. Burial will be in the Graceland Cemetery. Visitation will be at the Foster Funeral Home in Webster City from 5-9 p.m. Friday.

Edward Benjamin Lamson, son of Riley and Inez Crawford Lamson, was born Sept. 4, 1917 at East Des Moines. At the age of three, the family moved to Pine River, MN., then returned to Des Moines. At age 13, they moved to Portage, MI., but he spent his summers in Des Moines with his grandfather and great-uncle who were in the horse business at the Iowa State Fairgrounds. He graduated from Portage High School in 1934 and moved to Des Moines to work at the stables. He rode race horses and started a riding academy, teaching equitation to Drake University students for physical education credits. He also broke and trained colts. He went into full time training and showing most of the popular kinds of show horses, including Western and English saddle types. He showed American Saddle horses at the National Western Livestock shows in Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Illinois; the Cattle Congress in Waterloo, the American Royal in Kansas City and the International Livestock Show in Chicago. He continued to work as superintendent of the race horse barns and was involved in all of the activities in front of the Grandstand at the Iowa State Fair through the 1949 fair. He then moved to Clear Lake where he bought a laundry and dry cleaning business. In 1953, he bought KRIB radio station in Clear Lake. In 1959, he was approached by businessmen in Clear Lake to become their full time Chamber of Commerce manager, a position he kept until 1965. He then moved to Pella to become the chamber manager there. Here, he was instrumental in helping to establish tourist attractions at the nearly completed Red Rock Dam as well as getting the community of Pella started on the project known as "Dutch Fronts."

On June 30, 1972 he married Janice Steenhock Menninga at Maquoketa. The couple resided in Maquoketa where they owned and operated the Decker House Inn, a National Historic Registered Hotel. On Jan. 1, 1979 they moved to Webster City. He filled two jobs in the community, one as Chamber of Commerce manager, the other as secretary/manager of the Hamilton County Fairgrounds. He retired from both jobs due to failing health. He then worked part time at the Coast to Coast store until it closed.

Survivors are his wife, Jan, sons Chad and Brad Lamson, both of Webster City; step-children and their spouses, Cheryl and Robert Burney of Webster City, Randy Menninga of Newton, Connie and Randy Ferguson of Maquoketa, Mary and Tammy Menninga of Des Moines; grandchildren, Chris and Jason Burney, Jamie Johnson, Ryan, Mandy, Miles and Noah Menninga, Mindy and Chris Schoenthaler and Abby Ferguson, two great-grandsons, Dirk Johnson and Tyler Niederwerfer; sisters, Mary Brouwer and Etta De Korte, both of Portage, MI., brother, Lyle Lamson, Stuart, FL.

He was a member of the Congregational Church where he served on the Diaconate Board and taught Sunday School. For four years he helped with the volunteer program at the middle school and was an honorary member of the Webster City ABI where he served on the Agriculture Committee and was a charter Ambassador. He was a member of the Diamond K Kiwanis, Hamilton County Fairboard, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry, Iowa Department of Economic Development, Professional Developers of Iowa and the Iowa State Horseman's Hall of Fame.

Memorials may be given to the Hamilton County Hospice/Respite Care.