John M. Parsley, 81, of Lake Benton, MN, died Tuesday, April 6, 2010 at Pipestone County Hospice Residence. John was born on March 1, 1929 on a farm in Moody Co. to Harry and Leona (Fargen) Parsley. He attended Durland Country School and graduated from Egan High School in 1948. John was married on December 29, 1951 at Flandreau to Frances Frauenberg. He started farming and then they moved to Colorado and he worked at Coors Brewery for 2 years returning to Elkton and farmed from 1957 until 1965. John worked for the National Farmers Organization from 1962 – 1970. They moved near Verdi in 1964 and he worked construction until going to work in the carpenter shop at SDSU From 1976 until he retired in 1991. He was a member of St. Genevieve Catholic Church, a former member of Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church, Elkton, was a member of the Verdi School Board for 12 years and was sexton of St. Mary's Cemetery for many years. John enjoyed gardening, bird watching, dancing, reading, wood-working and playing cards.

John is survived by his wife, Frances Parsley, Lake Benton, MN; 13 children, Michael (Karen) Parsley, Sioux Falls, Theresa (Paul) Osgood, Mazeppa, MN, Thomas (Connie) Parsley, Dyersville, IA, Catherine (Norman) Rossiter, Brooklyn Park, MN, Patrick (Jean) Parsley, Fairmont, MN, Mona (Dennis) Boese, Pipestone, MN, Bernadette (Neal) Carstensen, Granite Falls, MN, Mark (Carol) Parsley, Mapleton, MN, Eileen (Scott) Christensen, Lake Benton, MN, Anthony (Darla) Parsley, Adrian, MN, Merle (Dawn) Parsley, Lawson, MO, Miriam (Todd) Johnson, Pipestone, MN, Jerome (Paige) Parsley, Del Ray Beach, FL; 60 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren and 2 sisters, Lucille (Keith) Emerson, Phillip, SD and Mary Rosheim, Flandreau, SD. John is preceded in death by his parents; an infant daughter, Verjean; a grandson, Samuel; a great-grandson, Garret; a daughter-in-law, Sue; 3 brothers, Ralph, Wayne, and Paul and 2 sisters, Mary Jane and Patricia.


Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, April 9, 2010 at 10:30 AM at St. Genevieve Catholic Church, Lake Benton, MN with burial at St. Mary's Cemetery, Elkton, SD. Visitation will be from 5-7 PM Thursday at the church with a 7 PM prayer service.

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