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1926 - 2003 (77 years)
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Name |
Archibald Mark Dessert |
Born |
3 Aug 1926 |
Grand Junction, Co |
Gender |
Male |
Died |
3 Aug 2003 |
El Centro Naval Air, Imperial, California |
Buried |
Evergreen Cemetery, El Centro, CA |
Person ID |
I0683 |
Dessert Family Tree |
Last Modified |
16 Apr 2006 |
Father |
Raymond Bernardene Dessert, b. 20 May 1892, Missouri , d. 18 Dec 1969, El Centro Naval Air, Imperial, California (Age 77 years) |
Mother |
Jennie Cecelia James, b. 27 Feb 1893, Dubuque, Iowa , d. 7 Oct 1980, California (Age 87 years) |
Married |
20 May 1912 |
Minneapolis, Minn |
Family ID |
F0368 |
Group Sheet |
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Notes |
- Archibald M. Dessert, a longtime Imperial Valley resident and major
contributor to the development of the local agricultural industry, died
in his El Centro home Sunday on his 77th birthday after a long illness.
Dessert was born Aug. 3, 1926, in Grand Junction, Colo. His parents,
Raymond and Jennie Dessert, moved the family to Toronto in 1934 during
the Great Depression. His father worked in the vegetable seed business.
In 1942, Dessert came to El Centro with his father and younger brother
Frank to help his oldest brother, Raymond, operate the new family
business, Dessert Seed Co. During World War II, the company won an
important federal government contract to grow onion seed for the war
effort.
This marked the beginning of one of the largest family-owned seed
companies in the world. The company specialized in growing seed for
lettuce, beet, melon and tomatoes and was a leader in producing hybrid
onions.
Dessert served in the Pacific aboard the USS Alabama during World War
II. His daughter, Judy Tagg, said her father's biggest claim to war fame
was his insistence that he was the first one to set foot on Japan after
the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Alabama had been the
first ship to arrive in Japan after the bombings.
Dessert married his high school sweetheart, Winnie Alderson, in 1947.
The couple moved to Davis where Dessert earned his bachelor of science
degree in plant genetics in 1950. The couple then moved back to El
Centro and Dessert continued his work with the family seed business.
According to Tagg, her father was instrumental in the development of the
Imperial Sweet Onion line of seed. Dessert Seed was sold to Atlantic
Richfield in 1980 and renamed ARCO Seed. Dessert stayed on with ARCO for
five years as vice president of production. He then started the new
family business of West-Gro Farms, which he helped run until 2002.
In March of that year, Dessert was awarded the California Seed
Association's lifetime achievement award. The award is presented to
individuals who have affected and added value to the worldwide seed
trade.
Dessert was an active member of many local organizations including
Sunbeam Little League, Spartan Athletic Club, Knights of Columbus and
the El Centro Elks Lodge. He was an avid golfer and known as "Mr. Onion"
at the La Jolla Country Club because of the bag upon bags of onions that
could be found in his truck.
Visitation will be from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday in Hems Bros. Mortuary
chapel in El Centro for Mr. Dessert.
Mass will be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in St. Mary's Catholic
Church. The Rev. Barry Vinyard of Imperial Valley Catholic Chaplaincies
will officiate.
Burial will be at 8 a.m. Friday in Evergreen Cemetery in El Centro.
Survivors include his wife, Winnie Dessert; children and their spouses,
Mark and Rhonda Dessert, Derek Dessert, Judy and Joe Tagg and Matt and
Jolene Dessert; grandchildren, Oscar, Eric, Archie, Derek, Steven and
Matthew Dessert, and Trevor and Elliott Tagg; sisters and their spouses,
Alice and Joe Colace of Brawley and Valmere and Jack Frager of La Jolla;
and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family suggests donations be sent to Christ Community Church, 585 W.
Orange Ave., El Centro, CA 92243, St. Mary's Catholic Church, 795 S. La
Brucherie Road, El Centro, CA 92243, or to Imperial Valley Blood
Services, 1415 Ross Ave., El Centro, CA 92243.
age 3
moved to Toronto, California during the Great Depression
raised onions and cantelope, acres of land.
By MICHAEL A. SALORIO, Staff Writer
Tuesday, August 5, 2003 2:58 PM PDT
Archibald M. Dessert, a longtime Imperial Valley resident and ma jor
contributor to the development of the local agricultural industr y, died
in his El Centro home Sunday on his 77th birthday after a long i llness.
Dessert was born Aug. 3, 1926, in Grand Junction, Colo. His pare nts,
Raymond and Jennie Dessert, moved the family to Toronto in 193 4 during
the Great Depression. His father worked in the vegetable seed bu siness.
In 1942, Dessert came to El Centro with his father and younger b rother
Frank to help his oldest brother, Raymond, operate the new famil y
business, Dessert Seed Co. During World War II, the company wo n an
important federal government contract to grow onion seed for th e war
effort.
This marked the beginning of one of the largest family-owned see d
companies in the world. The company specialized in growing see d for
lettuce, beet, melon and tomatoes and was a leader in producin g hybrid
onions.
Dessert served in the Pacific aboard the USS Alabama during Worl d War
II. His daughter, Judy Tagg, said her father's biggest claim t o war fame
was his insistence that he was the first one to set foot on Japa n after
the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Alabama had b een the
first ship to arrive in Japan after the bombings.
Dessert married his high school sweetheart, Winnie Alderson, i n 1947.
The couple moved to Davis where Dessert earned his bachelor of s cience
degree in plant genetics in 1950. The couple then moved back t o El
Centro and Dessert continued his work with the family seed busin ess.
According to Tagg, her father was instrumental in the developmen t of the
Imperial Sweet Onion line of seed. Dessert Seed was sold to Atla ntic
Richfield in 1980 and renamed ARCO Seed. Dessert stayed on wit h ARCO for
five years as vice president of production. He then started th e new
family business of West-Gro Farms, which he helped run until 200 2.
In March of that year, Dessert was awarded the California Seed
Association's lifetime achievement award. The award is presente d to
individuals who have affected and added value to the worldwide s eed
trade.
Dessert was an active member of many local organizations includi ng
Sunbeam Little League, Spartan Athletic Club, Knights of Columbu s and
the El Centro Elks Lodge. He was an avid golfer and known as "Mr . Onion"
at the La Jolla Country Club because of the bag upon bags of oni ons that
could be found in his truck.
Visitation will be from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday in Hems Bros. Mortu ary
chapel in El Centro for Mr. Dessert.
Mass will be celebrated at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in St. Mary's Cath olic
Church. The Rev. Barry Vinyard of Imperial Valley Catholic Chapl aincies
will officiate.
Burial will be at 8 a.m. Friday in Evergreen Cemetery in El Cent ro.
Survivors include his wife, Winnie Dessert; children and their s pouses,
Mark and Rhonda Dessert, Derek Dessert, Judy and Joe Tagg and Ma tt and
Jolene Dessert; grandchildren, Oscar, Eric, Archie, Derek, Steve n and
Matthew Dessert, and Trevor and Elliott Tagg; sisters and thei r spouses,
Alice and Joe Colace of Brawley and Valmere and Jack Frager of L a Jolla;
and numerous nieces and nephews.
The family suggests donations be sent to Christ Community Church , 585 W.
Orange Ave., El Centro, CA 92243, St. Mary's Catholic Church, 79 5 S. La
Brucherie Road, El Centro, CA 92243, or to Imperial Valley Blood
Services, 1415 Ross Ave., El Centro, CA 92243.
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