Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-04-18
SIXTY YEARS 4
RESIDENT OF COUNTY
Earliest SurvivingP Pioneer Passes
In Death Of P. \.
Parsons.


one of our most highly respected fam
lilies, passed over the dark river and
joined the great silent majority on the
other shore last Friday, having attain
ed the age of 80 years, months, II
days, Death was caused by heart trou-
BILE. He has been failing all winter.
The deceased pioneer came to the
Irving townsite on the east shore of
Green Lake in the summer of 1857,
shortly after the Virginia colony To-
Gated there, under the leadership of
Hon. Eugene M. Wilson. Mr.. Parson
conducted the first hotel, large
block-house erected there but which
was afterwards burned by the Indians
in the outbreak of 1862. Green Lake
was named Carnelian lake by these
cOlonists and is so designated of the
first published maps. After the Indian
troubles Mr.. Parsons located on
farm he had pre-empted in 1859, in
town of Harrison, where he continued
to live until he sold the place nine
teen years ago, and since then has
lived at Spicer, thus never leaving the
shores of the beautiful lake which he
first saw sixty years ago.
Pearce Horton Parsons was born at
Balston Span, Rensselaer, county, New
York, Oct. 81, 1885, He attended the
common schools, and later was en-
ployed in paper mill. In 1856 he was
married to Miss Sarah Ross, and the
young couple went West to find a
home. The first year they remained
at Rockton, Ill.,, and in the spring Of
1857 came to the Territory of Mime
sofa, and located in Irving where they
lived as before stated. Mrs. Parsons
died in 1890: The surviving children,
with their respective families to
mourn the death of good father are
the following: Frank Ross Parsons of
Webb, Sask..; Pearce Horton Parsons,
Jr., Edmonton, Alberta; Robert Orange
Parsons, Coteau, N. D.; Lillian Hewitt
MRS. Peter Henderson,, Spicer, Min
nesota; Daisy (Mrs. J. J. Henderson,, J,
Minneapolis; William Parsons, La
Beau, S. D.; Rillah (Mrs. H. G. Ben
tom, Minneapolis; Sadie, (Mrs. John
L. Wilson,, Hazemore, Sask. Two
sons have gone befOre-James Henry
and George Beardsley Parsons.
The funeral was held at Spicer yes.
terday (Tuesday) afternoon at go
clock. Owing to the limited capacity
Of the church the services were held
at the M. w. A. hall and was con
Quoted under the auspices of the Ma
sonic lodge of Atwater and the Wood
men of Spicer of which two orders the
deceased was member. Rev. Cyrus
Sullivan of Spicer preached the fun
eral sermon and a quartet of Young
Ladies Of Spicer sang several selec
tiOns.
There was large attendance
of old friends and neighbors to show
) their last respects to the old pioneer
The burial was made at Oak Sid,
I Cemetary in Harrison where rests tn,
remains of his wife, his mother and tn,
I children who have gone before.
/ The children present at the funera
| were Frank Parsons, Mrs. J.cJ. Hende1
son, husband and children Frances an,
( Leroy, William Parsons and wife
/ Robert Parsons, Mrs. Henry Bentol
4 and husband, Mr.. and Mrs. Pete
\ Henderson. A granddaughter, Mis-
Edith Parsons of Minneapolis daugt
ter of Henry Parsons deceased wa
also present. Among the many othe
relatives present may be mentione
a niece, Mrs. Peter Burns of Kand
yohi and Frank Harris, nephew, {
Irving.