Mason, Paul Dell 1920-2009

MASON, SMALL, CHAMBERS, WYMORE, RUBY, ROBERTSON, ROBBINS, SANDERS, DOONAN, KINNEY, COX, MCNABB, MCCLURE, MCGREW, GARMAN, MORRIS

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 2/3/2017 at 12:47:17

The Poweshiek County CR
Mar. 4, 2009

PAUL D. MASON, 88

Paul D. Mason, 88, of Montezuma, died Monday, Feb. 23, 2009, at the Grinnell Regional Medical Center. Funeral services were held at 10 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, at the Holland-Coble Funeral Home in Montezuma. Burial was at the Barnes City Cemetery in Barnes City. Memorial contributions may be made to the Barnes City Cemetery.

Paul Dell Mason, the son of Oliver and Bertha (Small) Mason, was born Sept. 17, 1920, near Rose Hill. He was a 1939 graduate of the Barnes City High School. Paul enlisted with the U.S. Army during World War II, where he was active in several campaigns including Normandy, Northern France, and Rhineland, Germany. After being wounded in action, he was awarded the Purple Heart medal and honorably discharged in 1945. On April 17, 1947, Paul was united in marriage to Lottie Louella Chambers in Washington. It was Paul's childhood dream to become an auctioneer, so in August of 1947, he enrolled at the Reisch American School of Auctioneering in Mason City. He had a truck and worked for numerous sale barns before he and other stockholders purchased the old Montezuma sale barn in 1964. Paul's life-long dream was to build one of the most modern livestock auction facilities in the state of Iowa. He fulfilled his dream by having the first sale at the Montezuma Sales Company in February of 1974. Paul's son, Bill, joined him in the family auction business in 1963, later forming M&M Auction Inc. which is still in operation today. Paul was a devoted operator of the market, working them daily until his health failed in December of 2008. Even in poor health, Paul served several years as President of the board of directors, until the day he died. He was a life-time member of the American Legion Post #507 and Disabled American Veterans (DAV), board member of the Barnes City Cemetery, and served as a former Mayor of Barnes City.

He is survived by his wife of 61 years, Louella; two sons, Bill (Kathi) Mason of Montezuma, and Jim (Lenore) Chambers of Kernville, Texas; a daughter, Sandra (Jerry) Wymore of Chariton; one brother, Ernest (Joan) Mason of Oskaloosa; five sisters, Mac Ruby of New Sharon, Wanda Robertson of Oskaloosa, Ivalene (Dave) Robbins of Oskaloosa, Wilma Sanders of Deep River, and Nancy (Larry) Doonan of Barnes City. Paul was also blessed with 10 grandchildren and 24 great-grandchildren.

Paul was preceded in death by his parents; four brothers, William, Oren, Norman and Walter Mason; two sisters, Edith Kinney and Ina Cox; two sisters-in-law, Hazel Mason and LaVonne Mason; seven brothers-in-law, Oliver McNabb, Edward McClure, Max Robertson, Everett Cox, Phillip Sanders, Lawrence Ruby and Raymond Kinney; and three half-sisters and their husband, Gail (Merton) McGrew, Helen (Charlie) Garman, and Allene (Lewis) Morris.