Gene Chamberlin (1933-2009)
CHAMBERLIN, BEYMER, COLE, ENGSTROM
Posted By: Ames Tribune
Date: 7/21/2009 at 13:26:58
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Tuesday, July 21, 2009.
Gene Chamberlin, 75, of Green Hills Retirement Community in Ames, died Monday, July 20, 2009, at Green Hills Health Care Center. Memorial services are being planned at a later date at Unitarian Universalist Fellowship in Ames. Grandon Funeral and Cremation Care is assisting the family.
THE AMES TRIBUNE, Ames, Story County, Iowa, Thursday, July 23, 2009.
Gene Chamberlin, 75, of Ames died July 20, 2009 at the Green Hills Care Center after battling Parkinson’s disease for several years. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 29 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Ames.
Lawrence Eugene (Gene) was born July 21, 1933 in Mapleton, IA to Francis and Bessie (Beymer) Chamberlin. He graduated from Mapleton High School in 1951 and received a journalism degree from Iowa State in 1954. He married Margaret (Margy) Cole on August 14, 1955 in Iowa Falls, IA.
After two years in the US Army, he worked at newspapers in Monticello, IA and Canton, SD. The family moved to Mobridge, SD and purchased the Mobridge Tribune July 1, 1964, realizing Gene’s boyhood dream of owning his own newspaper at age 30.
During his time in Mobridge, the Tribune won many awards at state and national newspaper contests. Gene was also active in the South Dakota Newspaper Association, serving as president in 1974-75. Gene and Margy started the Tribune SDSU journalism internship and scholarship program in 1969.
The Chamberlins moved to Brookings in 1989, where Gene continued his newspaper consulting business and also taught a newspaper management course at South Dakota State University. He spearheaded the expansion and remodeling of the Journalism Building at SDSU. He received the National Newspaper Association Outstanding Service Award and was named to the South Dakota Newspaper Hall of Fame.
In 2001, Gene and Margy moved to Ames, IA to be closer to family. They are also active in journalism education at Iowa State with their funding of the annual Chamberlin Lecture. Gene was a Rotary Club member for over 45 years, and was president in Canton and Mobridge.
In addition to his wife Margy, he is survived by his daughter Cathy (Doug) Engstrom of Johnston, and son Steve (Mary) Chamberlin of Cedar Rapids, and one granddaughter, Sarah Engstrom of Johnston. He is also survived by two sisters-in-law and nieces and nephews. His parents, two brothers and one sister preceded him in death.
Memorials may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (pdf.org) or to the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation (inhf.org) for a communications internship.
Online condolences may be sent to www.grandonfuneral-andcremationcare.com.
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Story Obituaries maintained by Mark Christian.
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