Donald & Marian Harrison

HARRISON WASHBURN FORD MCKNIGHT

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 8/26/2010 at 21:57:36

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Donald and Marian Washburn Harrison
By Loraine E Washburn

Donald Allan Harrison was born 20 December 1928 at the Harrison farm in Benner Township, Section eleven, which he now owns. He is the son of Everett Harrison and Leona Fern Ford, and of the fourth generation of Harrisons to live on this farm. He attended rural Banner No. 1 School and graduated from Lawton High in 1946. After graduation he worked as a farm machinery mechanic in his father’s business, Harrison Implement, in Sioux City. Following his marriage on 7 Augusgt 1947 at Sioux City, Iowa, the couple lived until 1971 on the Richardson farm in Section ten of Banner Township. After which they moved to their present home on the Harrison farm. He began farming on the Richardson place in 1960, and rented the Harrison farm from about 1961 until he purchased it just before the family moved there. Don and Marian have done extensive remodeling and rebuilding on the farm. Don’s parents also reside on the farm in the tenant house.

Marian Lavonne Washburn was born 12 October 1925 near Luton, in Grange Township, Woodbury County, the daughter of Jesse and Elsie (McKnight) Washburn. Except for about three years in Plymouth County as a pre-schooler, she was raised on farms near Hornick and Anthon, Iowa. She attended Morningside College and gained a teaching certificate, and taught rural schools until after her marriage. One of these was Banner No. 2 in Woodbury County. She then became a fulltime homemaker when her children were small. As they grew she became involved with their 4H activities and was a 4H leader. She has also worked with the county exension office. Also through the years, she has worked as a substitute teacher in the Lawton-Bronson schools. She is an excellent cook and seamstress.

Don and Marian are members of the Community Presbyterian Church of Lawton. They have belonged to a neighborhood card club of Banner Township since before their marriage.

Don and Marian are parents of three children. Pamela Mae, born 27 February 1949, in Sioux City, attended Lawton Schools and graduation as Valedictorian of her class. She was a member of the National Honor Society and won the Citizenship award for 1967. She earned a B.S. degree in Home Economics in 1971 from Iowa State at Ames, and began teaching Home Economics in the Galva, Iowa, School. She taught there until 1976, when she became a full time mother and homemaker. At the present time she had returned to substitute teaching and is also employed at a café in Moville, Iowa.

Pam was married 22 July 1972 at Lawton to Glenn Ronald Clark. He was born 20 Novmeber 1845 at Spirit Lake, Iowa, the son of Frank and Opal Clark. He graduated from Lake Park, Iowa High School, and earned his degree in Business administration at Mankato State, Minnesota, in 1968. He served in the United States Army for two years and was stationed in Germany. From 1971 until 1982 he was employed at the Galva, Iowa, Bank. In 1979, Pam and Glenn purchased an acreage north of Moville, where Glenn raises a few cattle. Pam and Glenn are parents of three children: Christopher Ryan, 1976, at Storm Lake; Sharalyn Renee, 1977 at Storm Lake; and Charles Harrison, 24 Novmeber 1980, in Sioux City.

Nancy Ann, born 21 November 1950, Sioux City, attended schools at Lawton-Bronson; she graduated near the top of her class of 1969. She was a member of National Honor Society, a State of Iowa Scholar, and won a Music Scholarship to the University of Iowa, Iowa City. She earned a Bachelor of Music Degree there in 1972. From that time until 1980 she taught music at New Sharon, Iowa. In 1980 she took a course in Electronics at Ottumwa, Iowa and is currently employed in that field in Minneapolis. Nancy is an avid bicyclist and rose in the Bike Centennial Ride from Oregon to Colorado in 1976.

Marla Jo was born 14 January 1957 at Sioux City. She attended schools at Lawton-Nebraska, graduating in 1975. She was valedictorian, won the National Choir Award, was a member of National Honor Society, and won the Citizenship Award. After graduation she was employed at Western Iowa Telephone Association at Lawton, Iowa, until her marriage, 4 September 1976, at the Harrison farm. She and Tony lived first at Omaha, Nebraska, then in Pennsylvania, and are now residents of San Jose, California. Tony Thomas Grigg was born 4 October 1955 at Sioux City, the son of Donald and Mabel (Willer Howard) Grigg. He attended Lawton schools, graduating in 1974. He took a course in Electronics through Memorex Corporation and has been employed by that company since. Marla took college courses in the field of Nuclear medicine after her marriage and is working in that field. Since their marriage they have had an opportunity to travel to Europe and the Bahamas. Marla loves to knit and sew and Tony enjoys playing golf.