Mary Diana Osika's Page

I would have known that Uncle Hutson was a PARKER!   Uncle Willie and Uncle Freeman and Uncle Wyllie all looked like him!

Mary, What a thrill to see the pictures you posted. Right after I discovered a writting by Mary Frances Reid-Parker in my old Mac. Retyped it and have sent it out. Will tou send to crackerjim@aol.com the pictures so I can added them to my Parker collection? Please. Thank you. Jim

MARY FRANCES REID PARKER
Retyped by James Grady Parker January 25, 1998

I was born and named Mary Frances, June 18, 1915 in Parma, Missouri, I weighed 8 pounds had red hair and blue eyes. Named after a great-great aunt, her name was Franny Davis. My Dad was William Arthur Reid and my mother was Bertha Jane Barnet Reid.

My Dad was born in West Vienna, Illinois, May 30, 1880.

My mother was born in Knight Township, Indiana, September 13 1890.

My mother’s dad was born in Knight Township in 1860. His name was William S. Barnett born in 1867.

My mother’s mother was born in Ohio Township, Indiana. Her name was Rachel Sarah Wilson Barnett, born in 1867.

My mother’s parents married October 9 (________) and moved to Parma, Missouri. While living in Parma, my grandmother ran a boarding house and rented rooms, where my dad Arthur Reid rented a room.

Sometime later he and my mom met and were married.

My dad worked at a small factory like a saw mill. He ran a machine that cut veneer to make baskets.

I had four brother and three sisters, their names in order of birth;

William Lee Stillborn
Charles Ravis died at the age of one and a half years old
Dartha Marie dies at the age of two years old. She was named after my aunt Marie McBride
Mary Francis (age at the time of this letter) 77 years of age
Nettie Louise dies at twenty years old. She married at the age of eighteen Ceicil Braisher
Louise died two years after she was married 1937
Glen Edward was three to four years old when he died
Louis and Lois, twins lived only one month after mom did in 1925

All the children were born in the same house in Parma, Missouri. The exception was the twins being born in Benton, Arkansas, where we lived for four years. Dad cleared the land because then Parma was all wooded area and he built a two room house and later added two more rooms in the back.

I lived there until I was eighteen and married; my sister Louise did the same.

Dad was left with four children when my mother died, but with the help of Aunt Marie, he cared for us until the twins died. He then took care of me and Louise until we were both married at eighteen.

He was the most wonderful, kind and caring dad ever. He was mother and dad to both of us.

He was strict and his word was law. We both knew there was no child abuse or molesting like today or if so I knew nothing about it… If a bad storm came up or a fire in town that scared us we slept with dad the rest of the night. Or we just sat up the rest of the night.

He never left us alone, only for working an if it got dark before he came home, we went to our neighbors next door, Mr. & Mrs. Miller, she was like a mother to me.

My own grandmother lived one block away, she checked on us all the time. I saw her most every day, because I went by her house on the way to school for a sugar cookie to take to school. She baked the best ones, I thought. She was a dear old grandmother, I loved her deeply.

We lived in a happy care free life without electric lights, stove, indoor plumbing, washing machine. We don’t mind because we knew nothing about them.

Dad went to church and took us every Sunday, Sunday nights and Wednesdays. That was our going out and I enjoyed it. I never saw a movie and never went to a dance. We weren’t let out of our yard unless Dad said so.

One time Louise got out of line and went to town to spend a nickel, I guess. Dad gave her a whipping she never forgot. I thought he was hurting her too much, so I stepped in and took some of her licks for her.

Sometimes I sort of believe that’s why I have always been so shy and withdrawn. I was afraid to meet and speak to anyone.

We had our jobs to do, clean the house, cook, carry the fire wood, pump the water and carry it in. The water was for cooking, drinking and washing clothes.

We had an old water bucket and dipper for our drinking water. But, I’m not sorry, I learned at an early age this training has helped me in the long run all my life.

We had lots of girl friends to spend some nights with us and six or seven always came with us on Sunday. We helped cook dinner then played games all evening.

My dad never owned a car and we walked everywhere even three miles out to the farm where Aunt Nola and Uncle Earl lived.

Aunt Nola was my mother’s sister, Uncle Earl, her husband had a car it must have been a 1925 model. I know it had no windows that raised up and down, only a plastic type of material that snapped on to hold them.

Dad. Louise and I spent lots of time at the farm, I guess that’s the reason, Uncle Earl had a car. He made more money farming. He also has a still in the woods and made his own home brew. I’m sure that he liked to drink it too.

We helped with the work inside the house and Dad worked outside. Aunt Nola had eleven children, triplets, hazel, Helen and Horerile, so she needed plenty of help. In exchange she would buy new shoes, socks and underwear for us. She taught us some sewing too.
It was much fun to ride in Uncle Earl’s car. It was sure better than walking.

My Grandmother taught me to sew mostly and I have ripped out more hems than I have sewed. I proud of that training because it helped to teach me to do it right. I never forgot that training and the advice she gave me.

I always wish that I could have helped my daughter and grand daughters to sew; it’s an art and a profitable one.

I went to Parma School to complete the tenth grade. That year we went on a school picnic to the __________ hills in a trailer. It came loose from the car and turned over on top of us. Five were hurt, me included. I had my jawbone broken in two places. I never went to school anymore.

My children started to school in Parma too.

I always loved good singing. I sang in the choir and school and the choir at church.

My mother had three sisters, Aunt Ida, Aunt Nola and Aunt Marie.

Aunt Nola and Aunt Marie helped Dad to take care of us along with my grandmother. I missed my mother so many times, but I was blessed to have a dear old dad for many years. Mom died in 1925 when I was ten years old.

Dad died in 1960, I thought that was the hardest thing ever to happen but I found in two short years that having to give Wendell (her son) up was for me the hardest thing for me to bear. It still hurts me so bad at times, I never forget it.

Raymond ( Raymond Roy Parker) and I met up in 1930-1931. We went to school and church together everywhere we went for two years and then got married December 16, 1933.

He had a big family and they soon became my family. Mr. Parker (Thomas Hutson Parker) treated me like a daughter. Their kids and ours grew up together. They still are my family.

My Dad married again in 1939 to Florence Grace and I think they were happy for twenty-one years. Dad had lived alone for a few years. She was a nice lady and was good to me and Dad.

I believe by this time I was the only child left, she had two girls, Blanche Wilson and Hazel Kelly.

They lived in our old home place until Dad died in 1960. She moved later to a senior citizen center in Dexter. I kept the old house until 1970 then sold it to A. B. Parker, its still standing today. A. B. Did a lot of work on the house.

An old pecan tree still stands in the back yard. It was planted December 25 1945 the day my Danny was born. The boys with their Grandma Reid help to plant the seeds.

Jerry can tell you about hunting scrap iron all morning to sell and go to a movie for ten cents, buy popcorn for five cents, candy a nickel and a soda for a dime and enjoy the Saturday evening for only thirty cents.
Raymond and I had a hard time. He worked hard, but made small wages. He never seemed to learn to take care of what he did make. We moved into so many houses, I won’t even try to count by now our family had started and Joyce came in 1934, Billy Joel 1936, Jerry Wayne 1938, Wendel Reid in 1940, Phillip Ray 1944 and Danny Hutson in 1945.

They had replaced the loneness in my life and gave me love and joy. They still do, I thank God for giving them to me. They were all delivered by Doctor Hustan.

We never owned a house until we moved to Michigan and bought the one I live in now.

I never had a washing machine until Danny was a baby. If you think it’s hard now try washing on a rub board, pumping water and heating it on an old wood stove, then hanging the clothes on a line in all kinds of weather.

Raymond worked at any kind of work, farming, cotton gin, digging ditches, carpenter work, working on a car or whatever. But wages were small.

He did buy an old model A Ford and we came to Michigan in it in 1953 to pick cherries. We came back to Flint on our way home, stopped at Top and hazel’s home and Top said he could get a job at Graft. They hired him and that was the best job he ever had, the best for all the family.

We made good picking cherries with all the boys working hard and we bought our first television set in 1954 after all the school clothes were bought.

We picked cotton in Missouri in the fall before to but their clothes and things they needed before we came to Michigan.

I worked at a lunch room in the Parma schools two years before we came to Michigan, This was before our Dan started to school but he went with me to work too helping us. He would fill pans with potatoes to peel, four pans each day. He also helped the man who picked up the garbage by holding the door open for him. He gave a nickel each day which made him happy that he could help us all.

Danny should remember Mrs. Overfield and Mrs. Lula Ford, two great ladies who I worked with. They sure loved Danny.

I started working for two dollars an hour and never made more than four dollars an hour until I retired in 1982 at Kings Daughter Home I loved the job and all the dear old people. I made some good friends there too. One special, D. Willodean Williams who is still a special friend for thirty-eight years. They were our first neighbors we had when we first came to Michigan. We lived in a little red house across from the old Utley School then.

Then three years later we bought and had the house I live in now built. The best and only house we ever owned.

I can remember back to fifty-nine years our first house in Cannie Ditch west of Parma. It had three rooms with cracks and holes in the wall and floors; we papered and patched it some. I had a bed and dresser in my living room, in the kitchen a round table, a wood stove to cook and my cabinets were made of old orange crates six to seven stacked together. I made some curtains to cover them.

One day I saw a snake in them. It scared me so bad; I never knew which way he went.

Some of my saddest and lonely days were the last time I went to live in Missouri in 1968 to 1970 when Raymond was sent to the hospital in Mount Vernon, Missouri. I worked hard in the motel and went to the hospital almost every night.

Mr. & Mrs. Meritt became real good and caring friends. They ran the motel where I worked. They would take me to the hospital and those three to four years made me think about ___________, Missouri and would pick me up every night when visiting hours were over.

They were good but I was all alone away from family and home. I cried half the time.

The little trailer burned and all my clothes and things, but Raymond’s first social security check was hurt or burnt so I had that to buy a few more things..

I remember well the box of clothes you sent me. All of you.

I’ve had a long and fairly good life in so many ways. God didn’t promise mea Rose Garden”. Just promised to walk beside me. He gave me a good healthy life and a wonderful family to enjoy which I do very much.

I wanted to see it again.

I had to move and leave Joyce in Missouri. She and Robert married and lived in St. Louis. That was hard on me too. Linda and Dennis were born in St. Louis.

I am so thankful for all we have today. Good home plenty to eat and a good healthy family. I can surely remember when we had a lot less.

My children were lucky to get one Christmas present each for Christmas. One time I remember we had nothing, no presents and the kids were out in the woods hunting hickory nuts and walnuts to have for a cake…

I was baking when the old landlord brought a basket of apples, oranges, nuts, candy and other things to our house. When they came home they fully believed in Santa Claus that year. He truly came.

MISSING A PAGE

A daughter and five sons, eleven grandchildren, seventeen great-grandchildren, five lovely daughter-in-law. A special son-in-law and two granddaughters-in-law and three grandson-in-laws, what more could I ask for? But, a happy hereafter that will be my reward.

Now My Request

When I’m not able to care for myself and do my own work. Sell all my household and home use the money for my care in a good nursing home. I do not want to burden any of my children taking care of me or staying in their homes.

Mom

At last I want a small private funeral with a closed casket. I do not want people looking at me saying “I’m sorry” when they are not.

As for flowers, I want my roses while I’m alive, not afterwards when I know nothing about them






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Nothing says I love you like flowers! Find a florist near you now.

Mary, I just added another picture of the sons of James Lawrence Parker. This has all the names at the top of the picture. They are correct. Can't wait to see what photos you can add. Jim