(Pierre, S.D.)– A former lakes area businessman has died in Pierre, South Dakota.
Ed Parsen passed away at the age of 89. A funeral service will be held today (Tues. June 5th) in Pierre.
Parsen founded and built the Spirit Lake cable t.v. system in 1976. Upon completion of that system, Parsen built and operated systems in Okoboji, Arnolds Park, Wahpeton and Orleans…eventually serving four thousand homes under the name Iowa Great Lakes Cable t.v. He sold the system to Mediacom in 2001.
In 2005 Parsen donated 500-thousand dollars to the Arnolds Park Sustain Our Park fund drive in the form of a grant through the South Dakota Community Foundation.
With Mr. Parsen’s death, the invested earnings from the foundation will be donated yearly, in perpetuity, to maintain and operate Historic Arnolds Park, Incorporated.
A plaque to commemorate his gift was placed in the green space at Arnolds Park in 2005.
