Harley Bruce Parsons, 88, passed away Monday afternoon, April 13, 2009.

Born September 23, 1920, near Douglass, he was the son of Dora J. (Swanson) and Benjamin Harrison Parsons. Butler County, Kansas. In March 1921 the family moved to Cowley County southeast of Burden. He attended grade schools in Willow Branch and Burden, graduating in 1940. He was a member of the Burden 4-H Club.

Harley worked in construction near Parsons, Kansas, for a few months building a munitions plant. He returned to his family's farm, leaving it May 21, 1944, when he and Barbara Briscoe were married at the Tisdale Methodist Church. They began their married life on a farm owned by Earl Fromm. They farmed wheat and alfalfa, ran cattle, raised chickens and sold eggs. Harley and Barbara purchased their own farm between Cambridge and Dexter and moved to it in 1949. Harley farmed, raised cattle, drilled water wells and set surface pipe for oil well with his brother Gleason in the 1950's.

Harley, Barbara and their daughters left the farm in 1962 and have lived in Winfield since that time. He found employment at General Electric at Strother Field where he worked for 20 years and six months, retiring in 1983. He was a flight line mechanic. During this time, he traveled to many different airports and two foreign countries. He obtained his A & P (Airframe and Power plant) license. He had been a private pilot since 1946.

Harley was a member of the Cambridge IOOF Lodge and was a 4-H leader with the Cambridge 4-H Club. He joined the Tisdale United Methodist Church and later transferred to the First United Methodist Church. He cared for several older relatives and friends over the years.

Over the years Harley had several interests; flying their different planes to many states to visit people and see sights, spending many winters in a warmer climate, mostly in the Rio Grande Valley in the motor home. He really enjoyed riding a motorcycle either alone or with a group and reading his magazines. He belonged to Chapter Q of the Gold Wing Road Riders and the Grey-Haired Motorcycle Gang Clubs.

Harley is survived by:
His wife; Barbara of the home,
One daughter: Treva Andrea and her husband, Ron, of Glen Allen, Virginia;
His son-in-law: John Buchanan of Springfield, Missouri;
His grandsons: Wendell Andrea and wife, Kristen of Mechanicsville, Virginia; Eric Andrea of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Teresa Buchanan of Fremont, California; and David Buchanan and wife, Jodi, of Bentonville, Arkansas.
There are five great-grandchildren; Carrie, Bryce, Lea, Ava and Matthew.
He was preceded in death by his older daughter Virginia Buchanan, his parents, and four siblings, baby Lucille Parsons, Wilma Parsons Sanburn Ankrom, Gleason Parsons and Raymond Parsons.

Funeral Services will be held on Saturday morning, April 18, 2009 at 10:00 A.M. at the First United Methodist Church. Interment will follow at Highland Cemetery. Friends may call at Miles Funeral Service on Friday evening from 5 to 9. The family will greet visitors from 6 to 8 that evening.

The family ask that memorial contributions be made to First United Methodist Church in Winfield or to the charity of the contributors choice. Contributions may be made through the funeral home.