Parkinson, Carol B. 1901-1995

PARKINSON, THOMPSON

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 8/30/2008 at 17:00:59

CAROL B. PARKINSON

LE MARS, Iowa—Carol Bliss Parkinson, 94, of LeMars, died Saturday, Oct. 28, 1995, at The Abbey in LeMars.

A memorial service will be 10:30 a.m. Nov. 13, at Calvary United Methodist Church in LeMars, with the Rev. Fred Gums and Rev. Ken Koth of LeMars Bible Church officiating. The body was donated to the University of South Dakota School of Medicine for medical research.

Mr. Parkinson was born March 24, 1901, at Hanover, Ill., the son of William and Fanny Parkinson. He married Myrtle Thompson June 19, 1923. The couple lived in Sioux City where Mr. Parkinson taught music at Morningside College. He was principal cellist with the Sioux City Symphony, which his father organized in 1910. In 1927, Mr. Parkinson and Leo Kucinski, who later became conductor of the Sioux City symphony orchestra, were part of the Morningside College faculty string quartet and traveled for concerts through the Orient.

In 1930, the family moved to LeMars. Throughout his life, Mr. Parkinson was a musician and performer, and in 1932, was co-organizer with his brother, Schubert, and the father, W.B., of music assembly lyceum programs. In 1975, Mr. Parkinson completed his 43rd annual tour of schools and colleges in the Midwest, presenting more than 10,000 programs over that time. In 1929, he was in the National Who’s Who in America and in the International Music Box Society. As a young man he spent three sessions as first cellist with Chautauqua groups, traveling in Canada and the United States. In 1959, Mr. Parkinson was a special music lecturer at Westmar College. In 1976, he was given an honorary doctorate degree at Westmar, and in 1988 was honored at the Founder’s Day Banquet as a Legion of Heritage recipient for his career and for the contributions his family made to the college’s music department. Mr. Parkinson became known as the LeMars Music Man. His collection of more than 500 instruments was the nucleus of the Plymouth County Historical Museum Hall of Fame.

Mr. Parkinson was a long-time member of the Eastern Star and had served as past patron.

Survivors include two daughters, Helen and her husband, Ken Vance, and Jane and her husband Rich Schultz, all of LeMars; one son, C.J. and his wife, Connie, of St. Louis; eight grandchildren, Gary, Tom, Dick and Kirk Vance, Dave, Paula and Alan Schultz and Amy Parkinson; 12 great-grandchildren; two sisters-in-law, Mrs. Harry (LaVon) Thompson and Mrs. Schubert (Ruth) Parkinson, both of LeMars; numerous nieces and nephews; and his 104-year-old aunt, Grace Parkinson Schneider of LeMars.

He was preceded in death by his wife on March 17, 1992; two brothers and two sisters.

Memorials may be given to the Plymouth County Historical Museum.

~Source: The Sioux City Journal—part of the D. Easton Obituary Collection