Eugene PARKS

PARKS, CROSS, HOWELL, LESSIN, MARCHELLINO, HIGGINS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/8/2010 at 21:57:35

January 7, 2010
Charles City Press - Charles City, Iowa

Eugene “Gene” Parks, 74, of Charles City, died Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010, at his residence. Funeral services for Gene Parks will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Hauser Funeral Home in Charles City. Pastor Dennis Bachman of the First Wesleyan Church will officiate. Burial will be in Riverside Cemetery at Charles City. There will be a flag presentation by the Charles City Ceremonial Unit. Friends may call at the Hauser Funeral Home from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9:30 a.m. until service time on Saturday.

Eugene Parks was born March 16, 1935, at Alexander, the son of Wesley and Marjorie (Cross) Parks. He attended school at Hampton and graduated from Hamilton Business College. Gene served in the United States Army during the Korean conflict. On March 1, 1957, he was united in marriage to Marlys Howell at Belmond. Over the years he worked as an accountant and then as a circulation manager for the Des Moines Register. They moved to Charles City in 1963 where he worked as circulation manager for the Charles City Press. In 1966 he joined with his brothers in Parks Construction, building apartments and residential housing in Hampton and Charles City. Gene purchased the Union 76 gas station in 1977 and remodeled it into the first convenience store in Charles City and then expanded to several convenience stores in the area. He also became a marketer for Union 76 petroleum products. He was a member of the American Legion. Gene will always be remembered as a person who enjoyed his work and doing his very best at everything. He always looked forward to sharing his love and life with his family.

Living family members include his wife, Marlys Parks of Charles City; four children: Pamela (Byron) Lessin of Charles City, Perry (Kathy) Parks of Belmond, Scott (Angela) Parks of Charles City and Jerry (Katherine) Parks of Las Vegas, Nev.; 13 grandchildren: Tony and Sara Lessin, Gabby, Alex, Andrew (Becky), Hannah, Justin, Jordon, Brynn, Brandon, Jeridan, Maisy and Jackson Parks; a great-granddaughter, Alivia Parks; three brothers: Don Parks of Hampton, Stan Parks of Des Moines, and Wesley (Pauline) Parks of Sheffield; and a sister, Maryanne Marchellino of Hampton. He was preceded in death by his parents, and two brothers, Bernard Higgins and Morris Parks.

Memorials may be directed to the family for an educational scholarship to be established later. The Hauser Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.