MOVILLE, Iowa -- Arthur Chapman Ralston, 81, of Moville died Sunday, Nov. 16, 2008 at the Kavanaugh House in Des Moines, Iowa.
Services will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at the Moville United Methodist Church with the Rev. Ed Frank officiating. Winks-Sparks American Legion Post 303 will provide military rites following the services. Visitation will be from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the church. Online condolences may be sent to
www.christysmith.com
.
Arthur was born Jan. 4, 1927 at Cherokee, Iowa, the son of Glen and Mary (Chapman) Ralston. He entered the U.S. Navy in 1944 and after he was honorably discharged in 1945, he graduated from Moville High School. He continued his education at Iowa State University. He married Lois Berg on June 24, 1951 in Sioux City. Together they made their home in Moville, for a short time in Cherokee and near Washta, Iowa, where they farmed. They returned to Moville in 1956.
Art was a member of the Moville United Methodist Church and the Wink-Sparks American Legion Post 303 in Moville. He was a Woodbury County Soil and Water Conservation Board Commissioner, appointed in 1988, Board Chair for 10 years, Conservation District of Iowa, Region One Director, Little Sioux Watershed, Little Sioux Works Committee, Sioux Rivers Resource Conservation and Development Board for four years. He was also a leader of the Moville Senior Center, Pork Producers, Meadows Golf Course and served as a 4-H leader.
Survivors include three sons, Alan Ralston and his wife Diane of Moville, Wayne Ralston and his wife Janet of Moville and Brian Ralston and his wife Melody of Tremont, Ill.; three daughters, Ann Bartelt and her husband Dean of St. Charles, Iowa, Jane Parkhill and her husband Dan of Lawton, Iowa, and Karen Wood and her husband Randy of Indianola, Iowa; 12 grandchildren; one great-grandchild; and two sisters, Linda Hopp and her husband Harvey of Moville, and Betty Dicks and her husband Lawrence of Sioux City.
He was preceded in death by his wife Lois; his parents Glen and Mary Ralston; and a brother Jim Ralston.
Memorial contributions may be made to Conservation Districts of Iowa, P.O. Box 801, 1711 Osceola Avenue, Suite 251, Chariton, Iowa 50049, Woodbury County Library or Moville United Methodist Church.