Perry Francis Arney 1869-1958

ARNEY, FULK, BOYLES, CROUSE, DILL, GRAVATT, MEYERING, SPEYER

Posted By: C. Tucker (email)
Date: 10/2/2010 at 16:11:23

Times Republican
Marshalltown, IA [Saturday 3-22-1958] p. 7

P. F. Arney Dead At 88; Rites Monday

P. F. Arney, 88, of 608 W. Main St., died at Evangelical Hospital at 6:10 p.m. Friday where he had been a patient since last Monday. Perry Francis Arney, the son of Solomon and Eliza Fulk Arney was born on the Arney homestead three miles northwest of Albion April 24, 1869. He was the grandson of John and Mary Boyles Arney who were pioneer settlers of the Bethel Grove neighborhood, then called Arney Bend. Here he received his education in the rural schools and in the Albion seminary. ON JULY 8, 1891, he was married to Cora Oletta Crouse. Three daughters and a son were born to them before her death Nov. 6, 1901. On Sept. 9, 1903, he was married to Cora Louise Dill of Williamsburg and she preceded him in death in July 1943. In 1893 he bought a lumber, coal, grain and implement business in Albion which he operated for 12 years before moving to Marshalltown. Here his first business venture was the purchase of the Marshall Implement Co., where he sold farm machinery, wagons and buggies in connection with a large warehouse on First Street. Later he established the Farm Machinery Manufacturing Co., on East Nevada Street and operated a 300 acre farm on West Lincolnway and the Arney Orchards. MR. ARNEY was always interested in the religious, civic and musical work of the community. He has been a member of the First Methodist Church for more than 50 years and has been on the board of trustees, and official board for many years. At the time of his death he was on the Iowa Wesleyan Board of the Methodist Church, the Board of Trustees of Iowa Wesleyan Foundation and had charge of the College Campus Churches. Mr. Arney was president of the Marshall County Citizens committee which drove out the saloons in 1911 and past president of the Iowa Gideons Assn. He was the last surviving member of the Solomon Arney family, being preceded in death by two sisters and two brothers. SURVIVING ARE his children, Mrs. Howard Gravatt, 608 W. Main, Mrs. Bernice Meyering of Seattle, Wash., Mrs. Mildred Speyer of Chicago, Max Arney, 1211 W. Main Street, 12 grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren. Services will be from the First Methodist Church at 1:30 p.m. Monday in charge of the rev. James K. Delahooke, pastor, and Rev. Carl Crouse, Mr. Arney's nephew of Messina. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery. Friends may call at the Estel-Perrin Funeral Home until 10 a.m. Monday. Mr. Arney's request was that memorial gifts be directed to the missionary work of the church.
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