Edith C Parsons

Edith Croft Parsons, descendent  of Citrus County  pioneers, WC Croft, and Annie Lenthal Van Ness died quietly on December 8 at her home in Inverness.  Born in Hernando to Don Croft and Ruby Catherine Spencer who preceded her in death, Edith attended elementary school at the one-room Hernando school  and graduated from Avon Park High School in 1944 where her father pastored the Nazarene Church and she often played the piano.  That same year she married Daniel Parsons, a handsome Army Air Corps B-17 flight engineer stationed at Sebring AFB in support of  the World War II effort.  She and Dan lived in his home town of Nampa, Idaho for many years raising three children there. They returned to Inverness as snow birds for several years, eventually resettling here in 1984.  Edith was an avid walker, a supporter of the Citrus County Fair,  the 4-H activities of her many cousins, Hernando School events, and the Cattlemen’s Association.  Edith served as secretary for the Van Ness Family Reunion and participated in restoration of the Van Ness family cemetery near Hernando. She loved nothing better than working with her Rooks cousins wrangling cattle, making cane syrup, and doting on the children and grand children of her extended family.  Edith was widowed in 2009 when she lost her beloved Danny.  They left behind three children, Jennie of Miami Springs, Florida, David of La Pine, Oregon,  and Albert of Monroe, Washington, 5 grand children and 10 great grand children spread across the planet  from New Zealand to the West Coast, to Connecticut. A graveside service will be held at the Van Ness Family Cemetery on Saturday, Dec. 12 at 2:30 pm. Chas. E. Davis Funeral Home with Crematory, Inverness, Florida, is assisting the family with arrangements.