Wesley A & E. Lucille Maloney Park

PARK MALONEY MERRILL WHITTEN

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 10/13/2010 at 18:00:35

History of Woodbury County, Iowa 1984

Wesley A and E Lucille Maloney Park
By Arlene McFarland

Ethel Lucille Maloney was born August 13, 1915, on her parents’ farm in Hancock township, Plymouth County, Iowa, the middle daughter of Clara Alice Merrill and Fredrick Edward Maloney. Lucille met Wesley Albert, eldest son of Olive Julia Whitten and Albert Galliton Park, at a dance near Sioux City in the spring of 1937.

Wesley and Lucille were married Easter Sunday morning, April 17, 1938, at Elk Point, South Dakota. The couple made their first home in Sioux City where their son, Kenneth Arthur, was born March 31, 1939. Wesley’s job took the family to Cedar Rapids in January of 1940, where Arlene Elizabeth was born October 7, 1940. The family moved to Lamont, Illinois, in April 1942 when Wesley changed jobs from truck driving to working in a limestone quarry near Lincoln, Illinois. James Emery Park arrived May 27, 1944, in Lincoln. October of 1944 found the family moving back to Sloan, Iowa, where Wesley owned and operated the Sloan Motor Service, hauling freight from Sloan to Sioux City.

Wesley was drafted into the Army in May of 1945 and served until December of 1945. Wesley attended night school in Sioux City to learn the plumbing trade and bought Ivan Lawrence’s well rig. He owned and operated the Park Plumbing and Well Service for twelve years. John Wesley was born December 1, 1947, in Sioux City, Iowa.

Wesley and Lucille were members of the Congregational Church and Wesley served as Sunday School Teacher, Superintendent, and Trustee for a number of years. Lucille was active in the Ladies Aid and Missionary Society of the Church. Both were active in the Sloan American Legion and Auxiliary, serving as Commander/President and other offices. Wesley was elected President of the Sloan School PTA for one term (the first male to hold this office in their history) and Lucille served as secretary for one term. Wesley is a member of the Sloan Attica Masonic Lodge. He was a member of the Sloan Commercial Club and Sloan Volunteer Fire Department where he was an assistant chief. Wesley was a Cub Scout Dad and Boy Scout Master. Lucille was 4-H Club Leader for four years, County Committee Woman for two years, and was initiated as a lifetime honorary member of 4-H in Woodbury County in May 1957.

In 1954 Charles Johnson became a partner in Park Plumbing and Well Service. Wesley sold the entire business to Chuck in 1975 when he passed the Cedar Rapids Journeyman’s Plumbing Examination. The family moved there in June 1957 following Kenneth’s graduation form Sloan High School. The family home at 643-32nd Street, S.E., was purchased later that summer. Arlene graduated from Washington Senior High School’s first graduating class in June 1958 as an honor student.

In the spring of 1958 Lucille began work as a seamstress and fitter in the Women’s Alterations Department of Armstrong’s Department Store in Cedar Rapids, working there five years. Wesley worked for a number of companies in Cedar Rapids on everything from repair work to new construction on the nuclear power plant before his retirement in December 1977.

Wes and Lucille were members of First Congregational Church. Lucille was active in her Circle and Fellowship and Wesley sang in the choir. They belonged to the American Legion and Auxiliary. Lucille was active in the Auxiliary’s Past President’s organization and she enjoyed serving as a ‘Blue Lady volunteer at the Iowa City Veteran’s Hospital weekly. She was awarded her 4,000 hour pin or service. Wesley joined the Shrine Auxiliary. The couple have had many memorable trips to foreign countries and around the world.

In July of 1979 the couple moved once again to Sloan to live in their apartment at 507 Evans Street. They are active in the Congregational Church, American Legion and Auxiliary, as well as the Shrine and Auxiliary whenever they are in Sloan. The cold winters are spent in warm southern Texas near San Benito, living in their travel trailer.