08/21/2023
Eddie LaVern Parmer, age 79, of Van Wert, Iowa, son of Harold Burton “Bud” and Thelma Irene (Roberts) Parmer, was born March 1, 1944, in Des Moines, Iowa. He died at the Decatur County Hospital in Leon, Iowa on Monday, August 21, 2023.
Eddie grew up outside of Knoxville, Iowa farming with his family and attended Liberty School, a one room country school, until 8th grade where he then transferred to the high school in Knoxville. Eddie graduated from Knoxville High School in 1962, one day after a devastating tornado hit the family farm, forcing the family to move to Kansas City, Missouri at the conclusion of his graduation ceremony. While in Kansas City, Eddie worked with his father at Parmer Construction and later attained a job at Sears. He longed to return to the farm life and in 1966 moved to Van Wert, Iowa where he rented farm land with some of his father’s family. He took a lot of pride in the Van Wert community and served as Councilman for several years and City Marshall in Van Wert in the late 1960s.
Eddie reconnected with Ellen Elaine Groenendyk, a long-time family friend, and welcomed her and her two children, DeAnn and James, in to his family on December 27, 1977, where they were married in Van Wert at the Assembly of God Church. From this union came two more children, Kiley Elaine and Kenneth Lee.
Eddie pursued a variety of means to provide for his growing family, working at Jimmy Dean in Osceola, Iowa from 1980 to 1992. He assisted with and later purchased Olson’s Salvage yard in Van Wert which later became known as Parmer and Son Salvage. And he eventually took over a Studebaker parts dealership from his friends, Kenneth and Maude Campbell, of Leon, Iowa. He retired from Parmer Studebaker sales and Parmer and Son Salvage in 2009.
Eddie’s love for his family and God never wavered. He was baptized in the Knoxville Assembly of God church at the age of 9. And he spent many years participating on the church board for the Assembly of God in Van Wert as well as volunteering as the Sunday school bus driver and teacher. He had many interests and hobbies that occupied his time, gardening, collecting stamps and coins were just a few. He longed to visit the Alaskan wilderness and was fascinated by stories of people who rebuilt their lives off the grid in the Great White North. But his real passion in life was for trains. He always dreamed of becoming a train engineer. Eddie fondly recalled the story of receiving his first Lionel train for Christmas at the age of nine and continued to collect electric trains throughout his life. Up until his time of death, Eddie spent his time caring for and restoring trains. Every guest to his house was invited to see his precious and expansive collection.
Preceding him in death were his parents; and his brother, Dean Parmer. Survivors include his wife, Ellen Parmer of Van Wert; children, Kiley (Travis) Hamell of Des Moines, Kenny (Alison) Parmer of Manchester, DeAnn McFarland, and James (Carol) Snyder, all of Van Wert; grandchildren, Hayden, Thomas, Charles and Silas Hamell, Marcus Collins, Lucas (Kayla) Collins, Logan (Rebekah) Snyder, and Rhiannon McFarland; four great grandchildren; and his siblings, Barb (Karl) Hornef, Everett (Julie) Parmer, and Carolyn Lewis, all of Van Wert and Ervin “Bubby” (Vickie) Parmer of St. Joseph, Missouri; many nieces and nephews; and other relatives and friends.
Funeral services will be held at the Slade – O’Donnell Funeral Home in Leon, Iowa at 10 a.m. Tuesday, August 29, 2023, with Pastor Terry D. Roberts officiating. Burial will be in the Van Wert Cemetery, Van Wert, Iowa at a later date. A memorial fund has been established by the family.