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James “Bud” Parkman

May 9, 2009

A memorial gathering will be held on Saturday, May 9, 2009 at 12:30 p.m. at the Retreat Center, 1317 Jurdy Road, Eagan, Minn., for James R. “Bud” Parkman, 88, formerly of Rugby, who died Wednesday, April 29 in Surprise Arizona. A memorial gathering will be held in Rugby at a later date.

Bud was born Dec. 31, 1920 in Rugby, the son of James and Cora (Mitchell) Parkman. He graduated from Rugby High School in 1938 and entered the U.S. Army Air Corps in the fall of 1940. He piloted many B-29 bomber missions over Japan during World War II. He married Lois Arason on May 6, 1942 in Fargo. After the war, the couple settled in Rugby, where Bud was a partner in the Rugby Insurance Agency and later served as treasurer of Center Mutual Insurance. After retiring, Bud stayed active in various businesses, first in Palm Desert, Calif., and later in Surprise, Ariz., where he married Esther Needles.

While in Rugby he served on the board of Citizens State Bank, was president of the Rugby Chamber of Commerce, served as the congregational president at Bethany Lutheran and was an active member of the Lions Club, Elks and Masons. He was president of the ND Insurance Agents Association, secretary of the ND Mutual Insurance Companies, and was elected to the board of directors of the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies.

He is survived by his wife, Esther; his former wife, Lois; four children, Connie Johnston, Carver, Minn.; Jeff Parkman, Eagan, Minn.; John Parkman, Eagan, Minn.; and Peggy Gregg, Bottineau; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and other relatives.

He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Irene, Nina and Mickey; and brothers, Wally and Charles.

Memorials are preferred to any hospice center, the American Cancer Society or the American Heart Association.