Mark Campney

Mark Eugene Campney, the son of James Elmer and Ethel (Corle) Campney was born September 30, 1924 near Curlew, IA. His childhood years were in the Palo Alto County, IA area, where he attended school, graduating from Emmetsburg High School in 1945. He farmed four years before being drafted in 1946 into the U.S. Army and served in the Occupation Forces in Japan until his Honorable Discharge in 1947. Mark then attended Iowa State College, receiving his B.S. in Agronomy in 1951. Mark married Lola Lusher in the Methodist Church in Spirit Lake, IA on July 3, 1951. He became a Lay Pastor for the United Methodist Church in Beaman, IA, and attended Seminary School in Maryland. He was the dairyman on a farm in Colorado before moving back to Iowa, farming in Emmet County. From 1955 to 1960, he was the Unit Game Manager for the Iowa Conservation Commission at Dewy's Pasture near Ruthven, IA. He then moved to Polk City, IA where he worked on a dairy farm. In 1961, the family moved to California where Mark worked for the USDA and did soybean research for the University of California at Davis. Mark had a real passion for wildlife, trees and nature. He returned to Clay County in 1967 and was Park Superintendent for the City of Spencer until his retirement in 1986. He took pride in his work on the trails and parks in Spencer. He enjoyed gardening, and was past president of the Parker Museum, Spencer Lions Club, the Clay County Garden Club, and United Methodist Men's Club. He enjoyed volunteering for reading with Sacred Heart students, tutoring literacy, Flagfest, Boy Scouts, and at the Clay County Fair. He was also a member of Grace United Methodist Church in Spencer, the Spencer V.F.W. Post #3159 and American Legion Glen Pederson Post #1. After Mark was District Director for the Federated Garden Clubs of Iowa, He and Lola were co-chairmen of Operation Wildflower Iowa. Mark passed away Sunday, October 5, 2014 at Longhouse Residence at the age of 90. He was preceded in death by his parents; 2 sisters, Irene and Mary; and one brother, Hubert. Left to cherish his memory are his wife Lola of Spencer, IA; 3 sons, Owen (Mary) of Austin, TX, Bruce (Jan) of Pflugerville, TX, and D.J. (Skip) of Fort Dodge, IA; a daughter Nancy; 10 grandchildren; 7 great-grandchildren; many other relatives and friends.

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