Manson, A.B. 1875-1966

MANSON, BARBER, STEWART, PATTERSON, DENNIS, BROWN, MCCONNELL

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 7/23/2010 at 08:13:23

Grinnell Herald-Register (Grinnell, Iowa) Nov. 7, 1966

A.B. MANSON, 91, FORMER CHIEF OF POLICE, SUCCUMBS

A veteran Grinnell law enforcement officer, A.B. Manson, 91, of 511 Broad Street, died Sunday morning at a local hospital following failing health and hospitalization since June.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday at the Smith Funeral Home with the Rev. Chester Custer, pastor of the Grinnell Methodist church, officiating. Organist will be Mrs. Willard Heffner.

Pallbearers will be Kenneth Saunders, Ellis Brown, Edgar Sabin, Lorin Miller, Homer McDonough, and R.F. Gregson. Flower bearers will be Mr. and Mrs. George Mowitt. Burial will be in the family lot at Hazelwood cemetery.

Persons desiring may contribute to the Methodist church or Community hospital building funds.

Born Aug. 27th, 1875, at Bangor, County Down, Ireland, he was one of a family of six children of David and Agnes Barber Manson. He attended the grade schools in Ireland and at age 17 came to the United States where he lived at Pittsburgh, Pa., for a year. He then moved to Grinnell where he worked on a farm near Ewart and later in construction work for R.G. Coutts. Mr. Manson helped build the Methodist church in Grinnell in 1895.

On May 17th, 1899, he was united in marriage with Lucy May Stewart, and to this union were born two daughters, both surviving: Mrs. Howard (Agnes Mable) Patterson of Newton and Mrs. Pauline M. Dennis of Grinnell.

He also is survived by a brother and sister, David and Sarah Manson, and three nephews, all in Ireland; and three nieces in Kansas.

He was preceded in death by his wife Lucy on Dec. 7th, 1958; three sisters, Carrie Brown, Jane McConnell and Aggie Manson.

In 1905, Mr. Manson left Grinnell for Wellington, Kan., where he formed his own building contracting company. In 1917, during World War I, he joined the YMCA program and served as secretary with overseas duty in France for 2 1/2 years.

In 1921, he returned to Grinnell where he served as Chief of Police from 1921 until 1939. He then served as secretary-treasurer of the Iowa Association of Chiefs of Police until retirement in 1963.

Mr. Manson was a member of the Grinnell Methodist church, and held the 50-year pin and life membership with the Wellington, Kan., Masonic Lodge No. 150.