PURVIS, Donald Lee 1917-2003

PURVIS, STUMBERG, ROSS, SCHMIDT, BUCHHOLTZ, GILMER

Posted By: Jeffrey R. Phillips (email)
Date: 1/22/2005 at 09:24:17

Donald Purvis
By: 09/10/2003

January 18, 1917-September 7, 2003

WELLSBURG - Donald Lee Purvis, 86, of Britt, formerly of Wellsburg, died Sunday, Sept. 7, 2003, at Hancock County Memorial Hospital in Britt. Funeral services will be Wednesday, Sept. 10, at 10:30 a.m. at United Reformed Church in Wellsburg with Pastor Harold Miller officiating. Burial will be in the Shiloh Cemetery in Wellsburg.

Donald was born Jan. 18, 1917, in Grundy Center to Leroy and Johanna (Stumberg) Purvis. He graduated from Grundy Center High School and went on to graduate from the University of Iowa where he was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He taught one year in the Renwick school system before getting orders for active duty. From 1941-1945, he served in Newfoundland and in the CBI (China-Burma-India) theater. On Oct. 10, 1941, he married Evelyn Ross in Wellsburg. After returning from the service, he joined his father-in-law, John W. Ross, in the implement business. He later bought the partnership, and became sole owner of Ross & Purvis Sales & Service. In 1976, he sold the business and began wintering in Sarasota, Fla. In 1982, they moved to Port Charlotte, Fla. They wintered there until setting up permanent residence in Britt in December of 2002.

Don was a member of the Second Christian Reformed Church of Wellsburg, where he served several terms on the consistory. He served nine years on the Wellsburg School Board, was president and long time member of the Wellsburg Community Club, and was a 50-year member of the American Legion in Wellsburg. While in Florida, he was a member of the Maple Leaf Estates Golf & County Club in Port Charlotte and was a member of the First Presbyterian Church. He was an avid sports fan and had excelled in high school and college sports.

Survivors include his wife, Evelyn; three daughters, Linda Schmidt of Richmond, Va., Bonnie and husband Bill Buchholtz of Austin, Texas, and Jean and husband Jerry Gilmer of Sycamore, Ill.; two sons, Jim and wife Jeanie Purvis of Britt and Dean and wife Cathy Purvis of Charlotte, N.C.; nine grandchildren; and three step-grandchildren.

Doyen-Abels Funeral Home of Wellsburg was in charge of arrangements.

©Iowa Falls Times-Citizen 2005