Submitted by: Dan Rich

Fern Arlene Parsons

May 31, 1930 - Aug. 28, 1999

South Bend Tribune 8/31/1999

Fern Arlene (Arnold) Parsons, 69, of 2524 Reese Drive, Niles, Mich., died on Saturday, Aug. 28, in Saint Joseph's Regional Medical Center, South Bend, Ind. Fern was born on May 31, 1930, in North Liberty, Ind., to Oscar and Edith Marie (Arnold) Steele. She was preceded in death by her parents; a son, Terry Allen Parsons, who died in 1958; and by a half brother, Gerald Steele.

On April 10, 1949, in North Liberty, she married Lawrence W. Parsons. Fern is survived by her husband, Lawrence; a daughter, Vicki Lintz of Largo, Fla.; a son, Brian Lee (Sharilyn) Parsons of Kalamazoo, Mich.; two sisters, Ruth Snyder of South Bend and Marlene Gratner of Lakeville, Ind.; a half sister, Alice Gongwer of Walkerton, Ind.; two brothers, Clyde Steele of North Liberty and Darrell Steele of Port Orange, Fla.; and by two grandsons, Trevor Parsons and Troy Lintz, both of St. Petersburg, Fla.

Fern was a payroll clerk with the Simplicity Pattern Company, Niles, had been on W.H.M.E. Prayerline the past three years, and had been a very active member of the Christian Center Cathedral of Praise. She was also a Sunday School teacher at the First Church of Christ Christian, Niles, for over 20 years.

Services will be at noon (CST) on Thursday, Sept. 2, in the Christian Center Cathedral of Praise, 530 E. Ireland Road, South Bend. Burial will be in Westlawn Cemetery, North Liberty. Friends may call from 6 to 9 p.m. (EST) on Wednesday, Sept. 1, in the Pifer-SMITH Funeral Home, and one hour before services at the church. Memorial contributions may be made to LeSEA ''Feed the Hungry,'' 530 E. Ireland Road, South Bend, IN 46614.