Betty Parsons

Betty Ione Parsons, 87, of Kingsford passed away Thursday, August 19, 2010 at Manorcare Health Services in Kingsford, Michigan. She was born September 16, 1922 in Kingston, Illinois, the third and youngest child of Chester A. and Anna (Duff) Bird. Betty attended schools in Illinois, Detroit, and Elmira, Michigan. At age thirteen Betty was awarded Champion medals for the Detroit News School and District Spelling Bees. Betty left home during the Depression-era 1930’s to support herself, abandoning her last two years of high school. At eighteen, on November 14, 1940, she married Joseph M. Parsons, her life-long partner of sixty-nine years. They made their home in St. Ignace until Joe left to join the Army Air Corps in 1942. While Joe took basic training in Chicago at Soldier Field Betty followed, working for the Keystone company making photo-identification materials of enemy ships, planes, and other military equipment. Her free spirit soared in open cockpit plane rides and aerial loops over the Chicago skyline on some of her days off. After World War II she moved to Petoskey, Michigan with her husband and worked for Sears Roebuck & Co. as a Credit Manager and Catalog Store Manager. Later, she became Manager of the Petoskey Jo-Ann Fabrics store. In 1972 Betty & Joe had a great adventure traveling to Alaska in their truck camper. Driving the gravel road of the Al Can Highway they shot hundreds of feet of 8 MM film of Alaskan wildlife and scenery. Betty’s retirement years included a couple of winters in Florida and part-time work in the Newberry, Michigan Sears Catalog Merchant store. Her true love was time spent in outdoor camping on “number 14” at the Pretty Lake State Forest campground, northwest of Newberry, Michigan. She and Joe made many friends among the campers and educated a generation of fishermen on the Art of Catching Fish on Pretty Lake. Her favorite saying was as she lived her life: “You can do anything if you put your mind to it-” a true testament to her courage and character as she rose to management positions during her working years without the benefit of a high school diploma. She was an avid reader all her life. Betty is survived by her husband, Joe, a resident of Manorcare, a son Merle (Betty) Parsons of Iron Mountain, a granddaughter Lori (Shawn) Smith, of Minneapolis, MN, a grandson Jeffrey Parsons, of Salt Lake City, Utah, a great grandson, Ryan Paul Parsons, of Salt Lake City, Utah and many nieces, great nieces, nephews and great nephews. Betty was preceded in death by her father Charles A. Bird, her mother Anna, her step-father Richard Stark, her dearly-beloved sister, Phyllis, her brother Chester (“Chet”) Bird and Bryan Richard Parsons. In accordance with Betty’s wishes no memorial services are planned. The family requests no flowers. Inurnment will be held in Ellsworth, Michigan at a later date. Condolences may be expressed to the family of Betty I. Parsons online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com or can be mailed to her husband, Joseph Parsons c/o Manorcare Health Services 1225 Woodward Ave. Kingsford Mi 49802 The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon and Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the arrangements.

Betty Parsons

September 16, 1922 - August 19, 2010