Gordon Harold PARKER

PARKER, BONEBRAKE, BAILEY, KNOX, JOHNSON, HUDSON, WELLS, FRANK, REED, ENGLAND

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 1/5/2009 at 21:12:26

OBITUARY - GORDON HAROLD PARKER

Gordon Harold PARKER was born in Diagonal on November 17, 1928 to Guy Harrison PARKER and Clara Leone (BONEBRAKE) PARKER. He died on October 1, 2007 at the Clearview Home in Mount Ayr, Iowa after a struggle with Alzheimer’s. He grew up in the Redding area and graduated from Redding high school in 1946.

Gordon married Bessie Jean BAILEY on April 3, 1948 in Bedford, Iowa. Five children were born to Gordon and Bessie, Chris, Tom, Bonnie, Wanda, and Jenifer. Gordon farmed all of his life on three different farms between Maloy and Redding. In 1967, they bought a farm and moved five miles southwest of Mount Ayr. In August of 1998 Gordon and Bessie moved to Mount Ayr and retired from farming. Even though he didn't farm anymore he still drove down to the farm to see how Brett was doing and see if he needed any help.

Flash as he was known by his license plates enjoyed golf, and traveling to Colorado to visit his kids and grandkids. He also wintered in Texas until 2005 when his health would no longer allow him to travel that far. He also had great times playing cards with his long time friends.

He was a family man and always wanted his children and grandchildren to visit. Many family trips to Kearney, Nebraska were made to celebrate Christmas over Thanksgiving vacation. These trips and many more were made possible by the generosity and love of Gordon and Bessie.

He was a lover of teddy bears, filling one room with them and even carving a bear out of tree to make a statue in his yard so the grade school kids could see the bear waving at them.

Gordon also had a special place in his heart for dashound dogs, Oscar being his most favorite. Gordon was a Mason, Shriner, and served on the Ringgold County Pose until 2004. He had great pride in serving in these organizations. Gordon and Bessie made it a point to show their children the country side; many vacations were taken through out the mid-west.

Preceded in death are his parents Guy and Clara PARKER, a brother-in-law Jack BAILEY, and son-in-law Mark BAKER.

Left to cherish his memories are his wife Bessie, son, Chris PARKER of Ft. Dodge, Tom (wife Denise) of Longmont, Colorado, Bonnie STILL (Dick) of Mount Ayr, Wanda KNOX (Harold) of Nine Mile Falls, Washington, Jenifer JOHNSON (Bob) of Tingley, Iowa; grandchildren Mike HUDSON (Kari) of Afton, Iowa, Reagan PARKER of LeMars, Iowa, Cooper PARKER (Jessica) of Marion, Iowa, Jake HAINS (Kylee) of Longmont, Colorado, Dylan and D'Ann PARKER of Longmont, Colorado, Angela WELLS (Jr.) of Leon, Andrea ENGLAND (Mark) of Urbandale, Alicia REED (Jason) of Lenox, Aby FRANK (Rob) of Caldwell, West Virginia, Bradley JOHNSON (Becky) of Creston and Jana JOHNSON of West Des Mines, Iowa; great-grandchildren Madisen and Cole PARKER, Ashley HUDSON, Jerimiah HAINS, Austin and Trenton WELLS, Weston and Lauren ENGLAND, Parker and Zoey REED.

Services were held at 1:30 p.m., Thursday, October 4, 2007, Wilson-Watson & Armstrong Funeral Home, Mount Ayr, Iowa.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, January of 2009