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Archibald Mark Dessert

Archibald Mark Dessert

Male 1926 - 2003  (77 years)

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  • Name Archibald Mark Dessert 
    Born 3 Aug 1926  Grand Junction, Co Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Male 
    Died 3 Aug 2003  El Centro Naval Air, Imperial, California Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Buried Evergreen Cemetery, El Centro, CA Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Person ID I0683  Dessert Family Tree
    Last Modified 16 Apr 2006 

    Father Raymond Bernardene Dessert,   b. 20 May 1892, Missouri Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 18 Dec 1969, El Centro Naval Air, Imperial, California Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 77 years) 
    Mother Jennie Cecelia James,   b. 27 Feb 1893, Dubuque, Iowa Find all individuals with events at this location,   d. 7 Oct 1980, California Find all individuals with events at this location  (Age 87 years) 
    Married 20 May 1912  Minneapolis, Minn Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Family ID F0368  Group Sheet

    Family Winnie Mary Alderson 
    Married 7 Aug 1948 
    Children 
     1. Archibald Mark Dessert
     2. Derek Stephen Dessert
    +3. Judith Anne Dessert
    +4. Matthew Aaron Dessert
    Family ID F0266  Group Sheet

  • 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.