Grandpa and his brothers grew up playing baseball all over the valley. His dad would play with them too, and they would challenge other families or teams. The girls would get up early on Saturday mornings to get their chores done so they could go alone with the boys and watch. It is written that they were pretty good and would most often win. They also won "largest family" awards for their family float in the different parades. Grandpa was asked to serve a mission for the church and his dad didn't know how they would pay for it or get along without grandpa helping with the family income. They were considered quite poor. The bishop promised grandpa's dad that if he would let him go, the family debt would be paid off by the time grandpa returned. So he went. There was a piece of land that grandpa had purchased, prior to leaving, for $1000. His dad took over the farming of that land and paid off the $1000 in the 1st year. Then paid the rest of the family debt in the 2nd year from the earnings off that land.
Grandpa dated a young girl named Alice Adeline Allen before his mission. Although they were not engaged, and she was free to "go with other young men", she chose to wait on her missionary and they were married shortly after he returned. They were very happy and soon were expecting a child. At the end of this post, there will be scanned pages telling of the birth of this child. It's an interview of grandpa's youngest sister, Arvilla. The interview took place when Arvilla was elderly, but she was recounting the events as she remembered them. She was eight when they happened, so keep in mind this is an interpretation of the events by a young child. To summarize, both Alice and the baby Theo died as a result of this birth. I grew up going to her grave every year on Memorial Day, as we also did with graves of other family members. My dad always referred to her as Aunt Alice. I later learned that she wasn't really his aunt, but his dad's first wife. The baby buried with her was his half brother. Grandpa later met and married Hilda Maud Young, my grandmother.
In remembering things about grandpa, I have come to the conclusion that he was a quiet, gentle man. I don't ever remember hearing him raise his voice. (And remember, I grew up on the same farm, just a stone's throw away from their house.) Maybe he did, but I never heard it in his latter years. He died the summer before my senior year in high school, so I should have some significant memories. But I find it hard to bring those memories to the surface. I find that true of a lot of my childhood, so it's not just him. I have a Book of Mormon that was his, given to him by the Wardboro Ward, as a token of thanks for his service as a ward clerk. I think everyone in the ward signed the book, all 30 or so. He also filled the last few pages (you know the blank few at the end) with sayings that he must have liked as he came across them. I like that about grandpa. It shows that he was a deep thinker and liked to ponder. I too collect sayings that have particular meaning to me at the time. One, that he has written in the book, is from a passenger on a ship that he traveled on. It says, "Why fear death? It will be the single most glorious thing we go through in this life". I know he liked to read. His books had check marks (numerous check marks) as he would finish reading a chapter, or section. After his eyes got bad, grandma would read to him. Then next to the check marks it would say, "finished reading to Tom on (date)". He had great hair. When I was young, I would "brush and style" his hair as only a 7-8 year old girl could. He would just sit and let me do it. When I would go to town with them in their car, we would end the trip with a stop at Neeley's for a frostie. Neeley's was the only fast food place in town and a frostie was a soft serve ice cream cone. Grandma and grandpa cleaned the church building for years along with taking care of the church lawn. I would help them on occasion. Grandpa loved his vegetable garden and his flower beds and they were always well kept and beautiful. I like that about him too. I loved it when the vegetables would ripen, so I could pick and eat. My favorites were turnips and peas. I never have known if turnips were meant to be eaten raw, but I love them that way, just peel and eat like an apple. The raspberries were definately a real treat too. I remember the day grandpa died, while weeding his garden, on his hands and knees, between the raspberry rows. I remember the day of his funeral and how completely depressed and dark I felt after we came home. I don't remember feeling that way about any deaths since. I wonder if that's because his death was the first close family death I experienced. Maybe because of my age too. I think it all makes a difference. I saw my grandpa again, along with grandma, many years later. Yes, after grandma died too. It was in the form of a dream and it was marvelous.
Oscar Fitzallen Parker Family
Grandpa seated, front and center, with his mom, dad and siblings.
My dad's brother, Keith, grandpa and my dad.
Hilda and Tom Parker
This is how I remember grandpa.
What a sweet man.
Alice Adeline Allen Parker and Oscar Thomas Parker
Following are 2 interviews of Arvilla Parker McMurray. The 2nd interview listed also includes remarks about my grandma, Hilda Parker. Arvilla's memory of grandma reaching America has a few different twist to the man who came to "claim" her than my version, (relayed in the post about grandma). Not sure which one is the most accurate. Interesting how stories evolve.
No comments:
Post a Comment