Francis “Fran” Parrish, 79, of Milford, passed away on Sunday, July 30, 2023, at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake.
A memorial service for Fran will be held, at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, August 12, 2023, at the First Lutheran Church in West Okoboji. A visitation will be held on Friday, from 5:00-7:00 p.m., at the church. Entombment will take place in the church’s columbarium. Arrangements are under the direction of the Robinson Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Online condolences may be left at www.spiritlakefuneralhome.com.
Francis Ray Parrish was born on July 31,1943, in Homer, Nebraska, to Laverne Parrish (Cooper) and Elzy Parrish. He passed away at 79 years old, on July 30, 2023, in Spirit Lake, Iowa. He lived in Sioux City and moved to Milford, in January of 1982, with his family, where he took a job at Ingham Okoboji Lutheran Bible Camp. He then formed a business with a friend doing construction work.
On October 26, 1963, he married his true soulmate, Betty Ann Pas. He met Betty because she was babysitting his Aunt Helen’s kids and the rest is history. Fran and Betty had a lot of adventures together and for 60 years they never left each other’s side.
You could always find Fran cheering on his beloved Nebraska Cornhuskers, and he never left the house without his Nebraska hat. He had a keychain on his car keys that played the Nebraska fight song, and every time they scored a touchdown you could hear him play the fight song and just giggle! Fran enjoyed spending time with family and friends. The light of his life was his three granddaughters. He was a lover of all things tractors. His first love was farming with his dad near Kingsley, Iowa. In his spare time, he rebuilt a Minneapolis Moline tractor, and after he got done with that one, he couldn’t stand not having something to do in his spare time, so he bought a Massy Harris and rebuilt that one as well. He would take both of them to tractor pulls. He also loved to go on the KICD tractor ride every year. He also enjoyed TRAWL and giving rides to his grandkids and their friends. Another love was snowmobiling (when we had snow). He would give the kids a ride and then he would go off and enjoy the ride with friends and family.
Fran was an avid jokester. He loved making people laugh. He would sit at the kitchen island and ask questions while other people were cooking, but he never looked to cook himself.
Fran also loved spending time with his coffee friends at the camp. They would meet on Tuesdays and catch up on what happened during the prior week. Also, a shout out to his friends Judy and Tim for keeping him busy after mom passed. These times will never be forgotten.
Left to cherish his memory are: Amy (Brad) DuPuis of Peachtree City, GA; Shannon (Paul) Anderson of Milford, IA; three granddaughters, Cassawandra, Adeanna and Mia; brother,Doyle (Patty) Parrish of Dakota City, NE; sister, Dorothy (Bill) McGraw of Plattsmouth, NE; many nieces, and nephews. Preceded in death are his wife Betty Ann Parrish (Pas); parents,Elz, Laverne and Lloyd Cox; sister, Gail Jean Cox; and brother , Richard (Dick) Parrish; in-laws, Wesley and Marj Pas; brother-in-law, John Pas; and sister-in-law, Helen Kay Pas.
