John Harry Wilson, 86, former mayor and a resident of Parsons, departed this life Sunday afternoon, May 5, 2002, at Davis Memorial Hospital. He had been in declining health and death was attributed to a stroke.
He was born April 12, 1916, at Belington, a son of the late Francis Creed Wilson and Bessie Myers Wilson.
On Oct. 10, 1949, at New Jersey, he was married to the former Virginia Cousin Orr, who survives.
Also surviving are one stepson, David J. Orr and wife, Donna, Parsons; one stepdaughter, Carole Orr Daniel, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Judy Orr Ingham and husband, Larry, Parsons; one brother, Calvin Wilson, Ohio; eight grandchildren, Debbie Daniel, Karen Daniel Lee, Paul E. Daniel Jr., Melanie Bava Edmond, Susan Bava Heckler, Jade Orr Knick, Hiedi Orr, Jeremy Lawrence; and seven great-grandchildren.
Preceding him in death are three brothers, Francis Wilson, Cootz Wilson and Cecil Wilson; and five sisters, Claudia Workman, Beatrice Ramsey, Virginia Delbaglivio, Ruth Massonia and Beulah Yoak.
He attended the schools of Barbour County. He served with the U.S. Army during World War II at the Battle of Normandy with the 101st Airborne, 32nd Medical Division, and served as an instructor of parachute school. He was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Garnett Post No. 4322 and the H.W. Daniels Post 29, American Legion, and the Parsons Chapter 39 IOOF. He was a graduate of the University of Hard Knocks.
He was owner and operator of the former Dry Cleaning Service at Parsons. He worked for the State Department of West Virginia, the Veterans of Foreign Wars for eight years and the former Parsons Forestry Industry at Hendricks as a supervisor. During the late 1960s, he became owner of the Orr-wilson Insurance Co. He served four terms as mayor of Parsons and was a member of the First United Methodist Church in Parsons.
Friends will be received at Barb & Greenlief Funeral Home from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. Wednesday. Final rites will be conducted at the funeral home parlor Thursday at 11 a.m. The Rev. David Fuller will officiate. Tygarts Valley Post 3647 Veterans of Foreign Wars and the H.W. Daniels Post 29 American Legion will conduct full military rites and interment will follow.
