George Lyman Champlin

• 
• 

Champlin George Lyman "Champ" Champlin, Jr., age 93, died November 7, 2004 at the Patty Elwood Center in rural Cresco, IA. Funeral services were held on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 at the First Lutheran Church in Cresco, IA. Burial was in the Oak Lawn Cemetery in Cresco. Lindstrom Funeral Home handled the arrangements. George, son of George and Abbie (Miller), was born February 27, 1911, in Cresco, IA. He was a graduate of Cresco High School where he starred in football and basketball and was a member of the undefeated football team of 1927 his senior year. He later attended the University of Minnesota where he played football and basketball. He played for the Fritz Crisler's Gopher team of 31, and Bernie Beirman's 32 and 33 teams, and was known as the "smallest quarterback in the ‘Big Ten'". Also known as the "Cresco Flash," George was one of the fastest scat backs in the Big Ten. He was a member of Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and earned a B.A. in 1934. He was one of the oldest living "M" men before his death and was a strong supporter of Gopher sports. He married Eunice Walker on December 25, 1934, in Minneapolis, MN. They had almost 70 happy years together. He worked for General Mills in sales and advertising and is credited by many as the man that named "Cheerios." He entered the U.S. Navy in 1943 and served in France and Italy during WW II as a gunnery officer and assisted the French Underground. He has two Bronze Stars. After the was he returned to General Mills. He worked for them for 20 years before joining Campbell-Mithun Advertising Agency in Minneapolis, MN, where he worked until he retired as V.P. of Marketing in 1977. George's real passion was helping young people of all ages find meaningful employment. This was his hobby and he loved helping them in their careers. One of his many awards was WCCO's Good Neighbor in 1977. He was also given credit for bringing 1970 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Norman Borlaug, to the University of Minnesota. The credit was given by Norman Borlaug himself. He was a member of the Colonial Church of Edina for 22 years. When he retired he and Eunice moved back to his beloved home town of Cresco, IA, where he spent the last 27 years of his life. He was instrumental in the restoration of the Cresco Theatre, and building of the north stands at Cresco High school's football field as well as many other civic projects. He was a member of Kiwanis and was elected to the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame in 1990. He was one of the first members of the Howard County Times Plain Dealer's Hall of Fame. He was a member of the Cresco Baptist Church. He is survived by his wife, Eunice; four children, George Charles Champlin (and his wife Barbara) of Hines, MN, Jill Meredith Newby (and her husband Harry Newby, Jr.) of Bella Vista, AR, Gay Lizbeth Anderson (and her husband William Anderson) of Frederick, MD, and Jan Ellen Lowell of Franklin, MA, along with eleven grandchildren and 7 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother, John, and a sister, Ruth Park.

Published on November 9, 2004