Martin Leslie Parish

February 16, 1916 - January 7, 2022

Was born February 16th 1916 in Dixon County, SD to Guy and Cora (Mosher) Parish. He was 3rd of 14 children, 7 boys and 7 girls. He died January 7, 2022 at Yorkshire Village Memory Care in Hemet, CA. He was 105 years old.

Known as Marty, he grew up on the family farm in Gregory County, SD. At the age of 9, he nearly died.  He was in the barn with his sister Jessie teasing a horse when the horse kicked him in the head.  It took over 3 hours to get to the town doctor in a horse drawn wagon. After the doctor bandaged his head he was sent home with a 50/50 chance of survival.  He had a very prominent lifelong scar.

In his young life he had many jobs, most all farm related.  He worked on other farms with his brothers Dale & Ray and they would send most of their money home to help take care of the family.  He and his brothers worked their way across the United States to Seattle, Washington.  They worked at their uncle’s apple orchard and other agricultural jobs. After the picking season had ended they drove down to California and were offered a job with the Civilian Conservation Corps.  His brothers became bridge builders in the Mojave Desert and Marty became a radio switchboard operator. Then he got a job in Seattle at the Pacific Wax Paper Company making pretty good money for that time.  While in Seattle in 1941, at the age of 25, he got his draft notice soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and he drove back to Gregory to be inducted into the Army Air Force.  He went to basic training at Fort Crook, Nebraska near Omaha.

After basic training he volunteered to be an Aerial Gunner and after training and testing he changed his mind and he was placed on the troop train to cook for all the troops.  After a few meals he had proven himself more than qualified.  The Army sent him to baking school and he was promoted to Corporal.  After six months he was promoted again to Sergeant. He was in charge of the Mess Hall where he said “I fed 500 troops 3 square meals a day.”  Everyone praised his abilities and dedication.

In 1942 Marty was stationed at Hamilton Field Air Base in California and went to St. Louis, MO.  While there he met Margaret Rose Zimm on a riverboat.  They married a few months later and settled in Fremont, CA.  On July 17, 1945 they welcomed their only child, Marvin at University Hospital in San Francisco, CA.

After his honorable discharge from the Army Air Force in 1945 as a Sergeant, he was a lifelong member of The American Legion Club serving various posts in South Dakota as a manager and in other capacities in Hawthorne and Hemet, CA.

In 1949 he started his own painting business in South Dakota and that proved to be very successful.  In July 1952 he left South Dakota for San Rafael, CA with $25,000 and a brand new vehicle paid for.  He resumed his painting business until 1956 when he started his own luncheon counter for a year, where all the customers said he had the best chili dogs and cheeseburgers in town.  Being in the restaurant business took its toll on him as the sole proprietor and lone employee so he returned to his painting business until 1965.  He changed careers again at that time and became a Security Officer for Burns Detective Agency until his retirement in 1974.  At that time he moved from Hawthorne, CA to Hemet, CA.  While in Hemet in his retirement, he couldn’t sit idle and he started buying and selling mobile homes, another successful venture.

Marty had an entrepreneurial spirit and wherever he went, he was in charge and if you didn’t believe him, he’d convince you otherwise.

In 1969 and again in 1971 Marty was blessed with two granddaughters, Lesley and Tracy. His ‘little darlings’ as he called them were the light of his life and he enjoyed his role as Grampa Parish spending time with and spoiling them.

Marty was preceded in death by his parents Guy and Cora and all of his siblings Dale, Raymond, Neil, Junior, Elvin, Glen, Gladys, Shirley, Mary Ann, Jessie, Naomi, Verna and Mildred.

The family would like to thank the caring staff at Yorkshire Village for the wonderful care for the past 6 years. 

Marty is survived by his son Marvin, granddaughters Lesley Rich (Tom) and Tracy Seutter (Danny) and his 4 great grandchildren Jordan (Kylie) and Nicholas Rich and Scott and Skye Seutter.

Marty will be laid to rest with Military Honors at the Riverside National Veterans Cemetery in Riverside, CA on

Graveside services at Riverside National Cemetery, Wednesday February 2, 2022 at 12:00 pm