Gary Lee Parkhurst, the son of Alvin Kent Parkhurst and Marilyn Elaine Laver, was born February 22, 1945 in the hospital in Harlan, Iowa. He attended grade school at the Old Park School and junior high in Harlan, and high school at Elk Kimballton Community School in Elk Horn, Iowa. Gary was never married.
After high school, Gary enlisted in the United States Air Force, where he was a billeting clerk at Biggs AFB in El Paso, Texas.
After Gary was honorably discharged from the Air Force he went to work for Layland Insulation in Audubon, Iowa for several years. He then went to work driving for Harlan Rendering Works in Harlan until it closed. He was transferred to the Carroll Rendering Works in Carroll, Iowa where he worked there for many years. He worked at several odd jobs until he got a job at Jiffy Jet filling cartridges for printers and computers. Gary work there for 15 years until he retired and moved back to Harlan.
His hobby was drawing, he would sit and draw pictures and pictures of inventions he envisioned. Gary did not attend church, as he said the roof would cave in if he walked in. But he did believe in his God and he would read his Bible and he would sometimes talk about it with his brother Charlie when they had coffee.
Gary died at Salem Lutheran Homes in Elk Horn, Iowa on Monday, October 19, 2020. Gary was 75 years of age. He was preceded in death by his parents, one brother Douglas Parkhurst, one sister-in-law Bev Parkhurst and great nephew Henry Kenyon. He is survived by two brothers Charles (Cathy McQueen) Parkhurst and Don (Robin) Parkhurst, sister Marietta (Rick) Parkhurst Gaul, several nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews.
Thank you to the staff of Salem Lutheran Homes in Elk Horn and Country Care in Harlan for taking care of Gary in his time of need.
Visitation will be October 22nd from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Pauley Jones Funeral Home in Harlan. Graveside Service at Rose Hill Cemetery will take place at 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 22nd. Pauley Jones Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.
