Charles Parmley

Charles Parmley, longtime resident of Brayton, Iowa, passed away Saturday evening, March 15, 2014, at the age of 91, at the Audubon County Memorial Hospital in Audubon, Iowa.

Charles Lester Parmley, son of Lester Dea and Eula Addie (Garside) Parmley was born January 30, 1923, in Atlantic, Iowa. He attended country schools in Cass County and graduated from the Atlantic High School in 1940. Charles attended Balbeck Welding School in Omaha, Nebraska, and became a certified welder. He enlisted in the United States Marine Corps during WWII. After an honorable discharge, he joined the Iowa National Guard in Atlantic as a training instructor.

On September 22, 1948, Charles was married to Shirley Mae Reeves at the Little Brown Church in the Vail at Nashua, Iowa. The couple made their home on the family farm south of Brayton. Along with farming, Charles worked at the Art Berry Sawmill.

Charles served as director of Oakfield No. 7 Country School and was a member of the Exira school board during the reorganization of the district and the building of the new high school. He was also a member of the organizational committee for the Audubon Coop.

Charles was an active participant in many organizations including the Odd Fellows Lodge in Atlantic, Exodus Masonic Lodge #342 in Exira, Exodus Chapter 313 Order of the Eastern Star in Exira and the Amvets and Brayton American Legion. He served as Rainbow Dad for Assembly 131 and the Order of Rainbow Girls in Exira for many years. Charles was a member of Audubon County Sherriff’s Ranger for 13 years. He enjoyed hunting, gun collecting, watching John Wayne movies and was an avid reader. His greatest love was spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren.

Charles was preceded in death by his father, Lester and stepmother, Gladys Parmley; his mother, Eula and stepfathers, Herman Eden and Lloyd McAfee; his son, David Parmley; his grandson, Scott Landsberger; his sisters, Dollie Parmley, Margaret Payne and Emily Mock; his brothers, Leroy Parmley, Clifford Parmley and Howard Eden; his sons-in-law, James Collen and Mark Landsberger; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Cleo and Dottie Reeves; his brothers-in-law, Dale Denison and Gail Reeves; his sisters-in-law, Shirley Reeves and Ruth Hoyt; his nephews, Donald Denison, Ronald Denison and Rodney Denison.

He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Shirley Parmley of Brayton, IA; his daughters, Penny (Greg Stanley) Collen of Omaha, NE, and Sherri Landsberger of Des Moines, IA; his son, Craig (Becky) Parmley of Brayton, IA; daughter-in-law, Margaret Parmley (Marvin) Sonntag of Atlantic; his grandchildren, Clark (Jayne) Parmley of Springfield, MO, Renee (Bill) Lehman of Granger, IA, Rachel (Garrett) Dietzel of Overland Park, KS, Bethany Landsberger of Urbandale, IA and Cody Parmley of Brayton, IA; his great-grandchildren, Nicholas (Erica) Parmley of Columbia, MO, William and Tucker Lehman of Granger, IA and Norah and Wyatt Dietzel of Overland Park, KS; his step-grandsons, Bryan Stanley, Michael Stanley, Nathan Stanley and Matt Stanley; his sister, Gladys (Wayne) Farrer of Woodinville, WA; his sisters-in-law, Elaine Eden and Mary Jean Denison both of Atlantic, IA; nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

The Exodus Masonic Lodge #342 will conduct the Masonic service at 5:00 p.m. with the visitation to follow on Friday, March 21, 2014, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. with funeral services at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, March 22, 2014, both at Hockenberry Family Care in Atlantic. Burial will be in the Atlantic Cemetery.