Carl Napoleon Parsons (1924 - 1993)

Born 26 Jul 1924 in Dover, Morris, New Jersey, United States

Husband of Lucille Mae (Maxwell) Parsons — married 3 Sep 1960 in Beekmantown, Clinton, New York, United States

Died 13 Oct 1993 at age 69 in Plattsburgh, Clinton, New York, United States

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Biography

Carl Napoleon Parsons was born on July 26, 1924 in Dover township, Morris County, New Jersey. Carl was one of five known children born to Willis George Parsons and Irene (Mossey) Parsons. Carl's siblings were Aurel, Ralph, Leah and Loretta.

Carl's early years were spent in Dover, New Jersey but by no later than 1940, he and his family had relocated to the town of Champlain in Clinton County, New York. Carl would go on to marry his first wife, Madalyn Parsons (maiden name unkown) sometime between 1947 and 1950. Per the 1950 U.S. Census, enumerated on April 14, 1950 for Carl's area, he was married to Madalyn by this time and was living at 164 East Main Street in Malone, Franklin County, New York. Carl was a projectionist for a local theater in 1950 while Madalyn was a soda fountain girl at a local ice cream parlor.

Carl's life was occasionally marked by missteps. One rather public occurrence happened on August 24, 1947 when Carl was 23 years old (see August 25, 1947 edition (p. 3) of the "Plattsburgh Press-Republican" newspaper). Carl invented a fraudulent story of being struck on the head and robbed. He claimed that he was riding his scooter home from work on the evening of August 24th when he came across a car stopped on the road. Carl said that someone standing by the car waved him down with a flashlight. Upon stopping to check on the car's occupant(s), Carl said that he was hit on the head from behind and robbed of his wallet. The New York State Police who were investigating Carl's claim began to get suspicious of the accuracy of the alleged incident. The State Police then asked a local doctor to exam Carl. The doctor concluded that there was no evidence of Carl being attacked or struck on the head. Upon further questioning, Carl admitted that he had made up the incident. This led to a charge of Disorderly Conduct, a fine of $50 and a six-month jail sentence in Albany County Jail. Upon Carl's payment of the fine, the six-month incarceration piece of Carl's sentence was suspended.

By the late 1950s, Carl had relocated to the city of Plattsburgh in Clinton County, where he began work with the City of Plattsburgh Department of Public Works. Carl would marry for the second time, to Plattsburgh native Lucille Mae Maxwell, on September 3, 1960. The marriage took place in the nearby town of Beekmantown in Clinton County. It is unknown at present whether Carl's first marriage to Madalyn Parsons ended in Madalyn's death or by divorce.

Carl would retire from the City of Plattsburgh Public Works as an Assistant Superintendent in 1987, after a 30-year career. Carl died six years later, on October 13, 1993 at Champlain Valley Physicians Hospital in Plattsburgh.

The wake for Carl was held on October 15, 1993 at R. W. Walker Funeral Home in Plattsburgh, New York. The funeral mass took place at St. John's Church in Plattsburgh on October 16, 1993. Carl was buried at Mount Carmel Cemtery in Plattsburgh, where he shares a headstone and burial plot with his second wife, of 33 years, Lucille Mae (Maxwell) Parsons.

Sources

• 1930 U.S. Census for Dover Township, Morris County, New Jersey where we find five year-old Carl Parsons living at 71 Blackwell Street in Dover, New Jersey along with his parents Willis Parsons and Irene (Mossey) Parsons, his brother Aurel and his sister Leah. - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X4FQ-X5P

• 1940 U.S. Census for the town of Champlain, Clinton County, New York. At this time 15 year-old Carl Parsons was living on Oak Street in Champlain with his parents Willis Parsons and Irene (Mossey) Parsons and his siblings Aurel, Ralph, Leah and Loretta. - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:KQM5-2KJ

• "U.S. WWII Draft Cards - Young Men (1940-1947)," which includes a draft registration for Carl Parsons which he submitted on December 11, 1942 in Rouses Point, Clinton County, New York.

• Newspaper article from the August 25, 1947 edition of the "Plattsburgh Press-Republican" newspaper (p. 3), which details a fraudulent story concocted by Carl Parsons claiming he was hit over the head and robbed. Carl was fined $50. A six-month jail sentence was waived.

• 1950 U.S. Census for Malone, Franklin County, New York where we find 25 year-old Carl Parsons living with his first wife Madalyn Parsons at 164 East Main Street in Malone, New York. - https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XTG-BVS1

• "New York State Marriage Index (1881-1967)" which identifies Carl Parson's date of marriage (his second marriage) to Lucille Parsons as having taken place in "Beekman" (Beekmantown), Clinton County, New York on September 3, 1960.

• "U.S. Social Security Applications and Claims Index (1936-2007)" which confirms Carl Parsons' date-of-death as October 13, 1993, identifies his parents Willis Parsons and Irene (Mossey) Parsons, confirms his place-of-birth as Dover, New Jersey and provides his social security number. This record gives an incorrect date-of-birth for Carl, however.

• "U.S. Social Security Death Index (1935-2014)" which confirms Carl's correct dates of birth and death, provides his Social Security number and indicates that his Social Security number was issued sometime prior to 1951.

• Carl N. Parsons' obituary from the October 15, 1993 edition of the "Press-Republican" newspaper (p. 10) of Plattsburgh, New York.

• "Find a Grave" record which correctly indicates Carl's dates of birth and death and identifies his place-of-burial as Mount Carmel Cemetery in Plattsburgh, Clinton County, New York. The record and photo of the headstone notes that Carl shares a headstone and burial plot with his second wife Lucille (Maxwell) Parsons.