Harry Edmond Parslow, a leading attorney of Clarinda, who has practiced continuously since 1879, is a native of Canada, his birth having occurred in Middlesex county, on the 15th of April, 1855. He is the son of Abraham and Hannah (Mahon) Parslow, the former a farmer by occupation. His youthful days were spent in his parents’ home, during which time he pursued his education in the public schools and also took a preparatory course. For a year and a half he engaged in teaching school and then came to Iowa, arriving in Clarinda on the 3rd of September 1875. To provide for his own support he secured a clerkship and was thus connected with mercantile interests in the city until the fall of 1878. In the meantime he had devoted those hours which are usually termed leisure to the study of law and in further preparation for the profession he entered the law department of the University of Iowa, where he continued his reading until his admission to the bar in June, 1879. He at once began practice at Clarinda, where he has since remained and his knowledge of the law, combined with his ability to accurately apply its principles, has brought him substantial and gratifying success as a representative of the legal profession. For years he has been local attorney for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company. He served as city attorney at one time and is also vice president of the Clarinda National Bank.
Mr. Parslow is not unmindful of his duties of citizenship but takes interest in furthering movements for the public good, his cooperation being always dependent upon whether the general welfare is involved. He acted on the committee on building and grounds of the Clarinda Chautauqua Assembly and was a member of the committee which bought the present site of the public library. He has for years been a member of the executive committee of the Commercial Club, which has done valuable work in furthering the business interests and thereby promoting the general prosperity of the community.
Mr. Parslow was united in marriage to Miss Anna Burrows, of Clarinda, a daughter of John P. Burrows, who for some years was a druggist here but is now living retired and makes his home in Los Angeles, California. Unto Mr. and Mrs. Parslow has been born one child, Dorothy. The parents are prominent socially in Clarinda, the hospitality of the best homes being freely accorded them. Mr. Parslow has for a third of a century made his home here and is a man whom to know is to respect because of the substantial quality of his leading characteristics. In all of his public and private relations he has merited the esteem which is uniformly given him. He regards a public office as a public trust and at all times holds friendship inviolable.