Parsons, Arthur Brewster 1894-1979

PARSONS, BURKETT, LIGHT, WRIGHT, PAINE, MILLER, POTGETTER

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 4/21/2018 at 14:45:36

September 10, 1894 --- August 11, 1979

Eagle High's first wrestling coach dies

Funeral services for A. B. (Art) Parsons, 78, were held Monday afternoon at the United Church of Christ and the Rev. Marion Blake of Thor officiated. Burial was in Hazelwood Cemetery at Grinnell. Mr. Parsons died Friday at Veterans hospital following surgery. He became ill Wednesday and was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Des Moines. He is survived by his wife, one son, Walter, of St. Paul, Minn., two daughters, Mrs. Charles Burkett, PawPaw, Mich, and Mrs. Kenneth Light, Athens, Ohio, 10 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.

Art Parsons came to Eagle Grove in l922 and taught here for 37 years before his retirement in 1959. He was Eagle Grove High School's first wrestling coach and had received two wrestling Hall of Fame awards.

OBITUARY
Arthur Brewster Parsons was born September 10, 1894, at Grinnell, Iowa, the son of Walter Maurice and Mary Ellen Paine Parsons. He attended school at Pasadena, Calif., Minneapolis, Minn, and graduated from high school in Des Moines in 1913.

He received his college education at Grinnell, graduating in 1917. In June 1972 he was the recipient of the Alumni Award as the outstanding alumnus of the class of 1917. Arthur served in the U.S. Army from July 3, 1917, until May 2, 1919. During much of this time, he served with the Ambulance Corps in Italy. Mr. Parsons came to Eagle Grove in 1922, and taught in the Eagle Grove Schools for 37 years prior to his retirement in 1959. He was united in marriage with Lorene Wright of Ames on July 30, 1923, at Ames. The couple made their home in Eagle Grove and became the parents of three children: Walter Parsons, now of St. Paul, Minn.; (Mary) Mrs. Charles Burkett, Paw Paw, Mich, and (Patricia) Mrs. Kenneth Light, Athens, Ohio. Mr. Parsons entered Veteran's Hospital, Des Moines, on Wednesday, August 9 and died there on Friday, August 11, at the age of 77 years, 11 months, and 1 day. Art was Eagle Grove's first wrestling coach, and had received two wrestling Hall of Fame awards for his accomplishments. A member of the Congregational Church (UCC), life member of the Iowa State Education Association and a member of the executive board, Past Commander of the American Legion Post, a member of the Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce. He served several terms on the Eagle Grove City Council. He founded the Eagle Grove Ready Mix Concrete Company in partnership with Durwood Miller and also the North Iowa Stokol Company, in partnership with the late John Potgetter.

His survivors include his wife, son, daughters, 10 grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother and an infant sister. Funeral services were held on Monday, August 14, at 1:30 p.m. at the Congregational Church (UCC), Eagle Grove. Rev. Marion Blake officiated and burial was in Hazelwood Cemetery, Grinnell. Memorial gifts may be made to the Iowa Central Community College, Eagle Grove Center, wrestling scholarship fund.

August 17, 1972
Eagle Grove Eagle -- Eagle Grove, Iowa