Dr. Harold Brenton | ||
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| Saturday services set for former Mason City Park Clinic physician,
Harold L. Brenton, M.D. Harold L. Brenton, M.D., 80, of 5449 Ward Lake Drive, Port Orange, Florida 32128, died November 27, 2005 at his residence after a brave 18-month battle with myelodysplasic syndrome (MDS). Funeral service will be held 9:30 A.M. Saturday December 10, 2005, at Zion Lutheran Church, 112 North 4th Street, Clear Lake, with Reverend Dean Hess officiating. Interment will be in Elmwood St. Joseph Cemetery, Mason City, with full military honors conducted by members of the Mason City Veterans Memorial Association. Visitation will be one hour prior to the service at the church. Memorials in Dr. Brenton’s name may be directed to any of the following charities: Brenton Music Scholarship Fund, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society; or Hospice of Volusia/Flagler County. The family requests that these donations be directed to a family member for submittal. Harold (Hal) Brenton was born on December 13, 1924 in Des Moines, Iowa to Harry LaVerne and Vera Mae (Hawbaker) Brenton. He grew up in Charles City and Mason City where he graduated from MCHS in 1942. In 1943, Hal was draft eligible for World War II. After scoring high on an aptitude test, he was sent by the Army to pre-med school at the University of Michigan. Harold attended medical school at Wake Forest’s Bowman-Gray School of Medicine where he graduated in 1948 with Alpha Omega Alpha honors. His internship in internal medicine was completed at the University of Iowa and his residency at the NC Baptist Hospital in Winston-Salem, NC, which was interrupted by a call to active duty during the Korean War. In 1950, he was qualified as an army paratrooper with the 82nd airborne unit, served as a battalion surgeon in Seoul, Korea and was a Captain awarded with several bronze stars. Dr. Brenton’s first medical practice upon honorable discharge from the army was with the Linville Clinic in Columbia City, Indiana. He then returned to his hometown and lived over 25 years in Mason City. Hal practiced internal medicine at the Park Clinic from 1959 to 1988. His professional leadership included being President of the Park Clinic for over 5 years and Chief of Staff of the former North Iowa Medical Center during the years of 1974-1979 and President of the Cerro Gordo County Medical Society. As a civic leader, Hal was instrumental in creating several community projects. He was President of the North Iowa Fair Board from 1979-1983 during the construction of the North Iowa Horse and Hockey Arena. He was also a founder of the North Iowa Racquet Club. After his retirement at age 63 in 1988, he moved to Emerald Isle, NC and lived near the beach. In between rounds of golf, Hal took time to write the complete history of the Park Clinic and had the two volume book published in 1993. He then resumed his medical career for several years as the director of the Veterans Mobile Health Care Unit based out of Jacksonville, NC. Hal was well known for his driven personality, sense of quick wit, and generous nature. He had a myriad of interests, which included being an avid fisherman, art collector, consummate joke teller, world traveler and loyal Iowa Hawkeye fan. One of his greatest joys was playing host to family and friends at his Crane Lake, Minnesota wilderness cabin on Sandpoint Lake. Dr. Brenton is survived by his devoted wife of two years, Linda W. Brenton, one daughter, Marla and husband, Mark Veenstra of Port Orange, FL, his three sons, Dr. Douglas Brenton and wife Marian of West Des Moines, Iowa, Dr. Bradley Brenton and wife Dr. Linda Geer of Goldsboro, NC and Dr. Randall Brenton and wife, Cheryl of Clear Lake, Iowa. Other relatives include his sister, Lorna and husband Robert Burgraff of Deltona, Florida, nephew Craig Burgraff and wife Diane of Lemoyne, PA, eight grandchildren: Curtis Brenton and wife Bridget, Matthew Brenton, Charlotte Brenton, Claire Brenton, Janet Brenton, Eric Brenton, Dr. Bryon Geer and wife Kristi and Dr. Andy Geer and wife Lora, three great-granddaughters and one great-grandson; four step-daughters, aunts Mildred Wheeler of Waverly, IA and Dallas Sink of Winston-Salem, NC; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Harold L. Brenton was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife of 55 years, Martha Berch Willard Brenton and a brother-in-law, Duke C. Willard. Hogan Bremer Moore Colonial Chapel 614-423-2372 www.colonialchapels.com | ||