Obituary Gustavus Adolphus Parsons,
Jefferson City, Missouri, 15 Jan 1882

Jefferson City State Journal, Cole County, Jefferson City, Missouri, 16 January 1882

	G. A. Parsons.  Death of an Old Pioneer --- Resolutions of Respect
Passed by Cole County Officials.
	Three score years and ten is the alloted age of man, but few there
be who reach it.  Occasionally there is one whose "age is like a lusty
winter" and in his unabated vigor of life and animation he reaches and
passes it.  Of this number was Gen. Parsons.  He had passed the eightieth
milstone on the great broad thoroughfare of human life, and his journey was
one of great usefulness.  Full of years and ripe with honors, he goes in the
evening of a blessed old age, peacefully hence and enters by the bright
portals of the tomb the land of soft shadows and rain-bow tinted hereafter.
	Gen. G. A. Parsons was borne on the 15th day of June, 1801, in
Henrico county, Virginia, and died at his residence in this city on Sunday,
January 15th, 1882, at 10 o'clock p.m.  He was accordingly 80 years and 6
months old at his death.
	On the 10th of May, 1821, at Charlottesville, Va., he was married to
Miss Patience Monroe Bishop.  Hand in hand with this loved and loving wife
he made the journey of life.  She was one year his junior and now survives
him.
	In 1835, Gen. Parsons and wife removed to this state and settled in
Cooper county, shortly after he removed to this county and here in this city
to the day of his death he has since lived.
	The General was a brick-mason by trade and his first visit to this
city was in pursuance of a contract with the late Judge Miller to build for
him a brick home.  But for some reason the contract fell through with.
	On the 7th of March, 1839, Gen. E. L. Edwards, now the honorable
judge of this judicial circuit, who was then clerk of the circuit and county
court, appointed him his deputy, a position he continued to fill till 1841,
when he was elected to the position of his principal Gen. Edwards.  This
position of clerk of the circuit and county court clerk, for 24 consecutive
years thereafter he was re-elected to fill, leaving the office in 1865.  In
1874 he was elected county clerk;  was re-elected in 1878, and was holding
the position at the time of his death.  But a detailed sketch of the life of
Gen. Parsons since his settlement in this city, so long has he been
connected with the public affairs of the county, would amount almost a
public history of the county.  He was a pioneer, and little of public
interest has occurred in the county in the past 47 years in which he was not
a participant.
	Some time about 1840, Gov. Reynolds appointed him Adjutant-General
of this State, and in this capacity was devolved upon him the duty of paying
the State troops engaged in the Mormon war, a duty which took him to almost
every county in the State.  From this appointment he has since held the
title of General.
	The family of Gen. Parsons consisted of ten children, five of whom
are dead.  The eldest of his children was Gen. M. M. Parsons, the father of
S. K. Parsons of this city, who died in Mexico.  Mrs. Merriweather Jefferson
and Mrs. Dr. Fackler, and one unmarried daughter are also dead.  His
youngest son, Gus. A. Parsons, a lad of 17 years, died at Pea Ridge.
	Among the living of his children are Mrs. Virginia Berry, the widow
of the late Green C. Berry, and the mother of Monroe, Nannie, and Robert L.;
also Mrs. Mildrew Standish, the mother of Richard A. Standish, Dr. A. D.
Standish and Monroe P. Standish;  also Mrs E. L. Trickey of Lincoln,
Nebraska, and Mrs. Dr. Turner, all of whom were present at the General's
death.
	The funeral of the deceased will take place from the family
residence at 2 o'clock Tuesday.

Resolutions Adopted by the Officers of Cole County

	At a meeting of the officers of Cole county, Missouri, the following
proceedings were had:  On motion of W. H. Lusk, Col. Leaming was elected
chairman;  W. S. Davison, secretary.  On motion of Dr. Young the following
committee were appointed by the chair to draft resolutions commemorative of
the death of General Parsons late clerk of Cole county, Dr. R. E. Young, W.
H. Lusk, W. W. Wagner, J. G. Schott.  The committee reported as follows,
which was unanimously adopted:
	Whereas,  After a long career of usefulness Gen. A. Parsons on the
15th inst. departed this life, full of years and full of honors, now,
therefore be it.
	Resolved,  That in death of Gen. Parsons the state has lost a
valuable and honorable citizen and the county a faithful and upright
officer.  For more than forty years he served his county and state in
official capacity and during all that time, as well as in private life he
was ever conspicuous for his unswerving honesty and fidelity.
	Coming here in the year 1835 he was at the time of his death one of
the oldest citizens of Jefferson City, and in his long life, whether as head
of a family, or among the busy scenes of active business life, he was ever
the same devoted husband and father, genial gentleman and upright man.
	Resolved,  That in token of our respect to his memory, we, the
officers of the county of Cole, will close our offices on to-morrow, the day
decided upon for the funeral ceremonies.
	Resolved,  That the secretary of this meeting be requested to
furnish a copy of these resolutions to each of the city papers for
publication, and to the family of the deceased, and that a copy be furnished
the circuit, county and probate clerks to be spread upon the records.
R. E. Young, John G. Schott, F. A. Clarenbach, W. W. Wagner

Jefferson City Peoples Tribune, Cole County, Jefferson City, Missouri, 18 January 1882

	Death of Gen'l G. A. Parsons.  This much respected and venerated
citizen departed this life on Sunday last at his residence in this city.  He
was born on the 15th day of June, 1801, in the county of Henrico, in the
State of Virginia, and consequently was in his eighty-first year.
	Gen. Parsons removed to Missouri in the year 1835 and settled in
Cooper county, and afterwards in 1837, he removed to this city, where he
continued to reside until his death.  He leaves, surviving him, four
daughters, Mrs. Mildred Standish, Mrs. Dr. Turner, Mrs. E. L. Trickey, of
Lincoln, Neb. and Mrs. G. C. Berry and numberous grandchildren.  He was the
father of Gen. M. M. Parsons, who was killed in Mexico after the surrender
of the Confederate army.
	Gen. Parsons was in very many respects a remarkable man.  In his
family he was the kindest and most indulgent of husbands and fathers.  His
sterling integrity - his great fund of good, practical common sense - his
large benovolence, his kind and sympathetic nature, together with his frank
and courteous demeanor, always rendered him a favorite.  Before the people
he was invincible.  The public appreciation of his great worth was
repeatedly signified by his election and appointment to offices of honor and
trust.
	In 1837 Gen. Parsons was appointed deputy clerk of the circuit and
county courts of Cole county.  In 1840 he was elected to these offices, and
was continued in the office of county clerk by repeated elections (excepting
a few years immediately after the late civil war) until his death.  He held
the office of county clerk for thirty-one years.  He was appointed
Adjutant-General about the time of the "Mormon war," and continued to
discharge the duties of that office for very many years.
	In all the public offices to which he was called to fill, his
conduct was ever faithful and satisfactory to the people.  In his public
life he acted upon the just principle that he was the servant of the people
rather than the master and herein was his popular strength.
	Though always poor himself, his charities were numerous and
unostentatious.  He found much pleasure in aiding with his means and
fatherly advice many poor and otherwise helpless young men during his long
and eventful life.  From under his wise tutelage and out of his office
Congressman, Attorneys-General, State Senators, clerks and lawyers have
emerged, armed for successful conflict in life's great battle.  Many a poor
widow and many a wandering troop have been the recipients of his substantial
benefactions.  Many who are not of his kin will deeply deplore his end.
	The memory of his generous and noble deeds will not perish with the
hour of his death.

Fulton Callaway Weekly Gazette Death Notices, Callaway County, Missouri, 20 January 1882

	Gen. Gustavus A. Parsons, Clerk of the Cole County Court, died at
Jefferson City on the 15th inst., in the eighty second years of his age.  He
had been ill for several months.  Gen. Parsons emigrated from Virginia to
Missouri in 1833 and became a citizen of Cole county in 1836.

Obituary Patience Monroe (Bishop) Parsons,
Jefferson City, Missouri, 30 Jan 1884

Jefferson City Daily State Journal, Cole County, Jefferson City, Missouri, 31 January 1884
Jefferson City State Journal, Cole County, Jefferson City, Missouri, 8 February 1884

	A Good Woman Gone.  Mrs. Patience M. Parsons, widow of General G. A.
Parsons, died at her residence in this city at 10:45 o'clock last night,
after being confined to her bed about one month.  She died from the effects
of old age, and had been very feeble for some time.  The funeral will take
place to-morrow at 2 o'clock from her residence on Jackson street, and the
remains will be buried in the city cemetery.  The following short biography
of this aged and truly good woman is given:
	Patience M. Bishop was born November 25th, 1802, at Charlottesville,
Virginia, and was married to Gustavus A. Parsons on the 10th day of May,
1821.  In the year 1835 they came to Cooper county, Missouri, where they
lived two years and then moved to Jefferson City.  In 1844, G. A. Parsons
was appointed Adjutant General of the State by Gov. John C. Edwards, a
position he filled with marked ability and good judgment.  Mrs. Parsons was
the mother of nine children, five of whom preceded her to the grave.
General Mosby M. Parsons was killed in Mexico, July 16, 1865.  Mary Ann
Parsons, wife of M. L. Jefferson, died in October 1844;  Eliza Jane Parsons,
wife of Rev. J. G. Fackler, died on the 8th day of July, 1849;  Francis
Jackson Parsons died on the 24th day of July, 1849;  Gustavus A. Parsons
died on the 12th of December at Van Buren, Ark.  At the time of his death he
was a Lieutenant of a corps of sharp shooters in the confederate army.  Four
daughters are now living, as follows:  Mrs. A. M. Standish, who resides in
this city;  Mrs G. C. Berry, of Cole county;  Mrs. E. L. Trickey, of
Lincoln, Neb., and Mrs. Dr. S. D. Turner, of Cole county.
	Mrs. Parsons was 81 years old at the time of her death, and 47 years
of this time she had been a resident of Jefferson City.  She was honored,
loved and reverenced by the entire community, and although ripe in years,
yet her life was one of continued usefulness.  She was at all times quiet,
unassuming and generous to a fault, and it can truly be said that a good
woman has gone from our midst.  Her life was one long example of the noble
work of Providence, and one which if followed through life, will not cause
regret when the Grim Reaper, knocks at the door.  Pages of history would not
recount the good acts of the noble woman, and if she had any faults, they
seemed not to be such when confronted with so many good ones.  As an
exemplary christian, her example is one long to be remembered and charished
by the community, and as a kindhearted and loving mother her death will be
sincerely regretted by her surviving children.
	Her spirit has winged its everlasting flight to the Great Beyond,
from whence no traveler returns;  and to her, there was nothing terrible
about this mysterious journey, for well she knew who would safely guide her
across the River which seperates the dead from the living.  A good woman has
left us!  Peace to her soul!

Gustavus Adolphus and Patience Monroe (Bishop) Parsons Family