Marion Co TOC

This document is comprised of information told to Mrs. Ruth Jackson. It is told by Jonathan Parker, Jr., the grandson of Garrison and Mary Parker. Jonathan Parker, Jr lived with his grandparents after his mother died. Their home was in Marion County Arkansas where many of the Parker descendants live. Jonathan reared his family in Marion County, Arkansas

    Garrison Parker was a full blooded Englishman, but was born in America. His birthplace was 12 miles from Old Jamestown, NC. Old Jamestown is supposed to be near the present Jamestown, NC, which is in Guilford County, not far south-east of Winston-Salem, NC.
    His parents came from England to this country. He was born about the year 1782. This date was figured this way - He claimed to be 110 years old at his death, and he died when Euna Parker was a baby. Euna is now 58 years old. So 110 plus 58 equals 168. 1950 - 168 = 1782, a fairly accurate date.
    When Garrison was 12 years old the Parker family moved to Rutherford County, Tennessee. Jonathan thinks the name of the town was Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It was in Tennessee that he met his future wife, Mary Johnson.
    Garrison was one of three children. He had 2 brothers, Doc and Mallory Parker. After he came to Arkansas, he lost track of his brothers. The reason he lost track of his family, the post offices were 100 miles or so apart and there was no mail service into the backwoods of Arkansas.
    Garrison Parker was a short, skinny man, weighing about 125 pounds. He loved his liquor and hated work. He was never known to have helped Mary do any of the work. He would come home drunk, get his knife out, whet the knife good and sharp and then threaten to kill all of them that night. His patient wife, Mary, would send all the kids, one by one, to the neighbors house for the night, but she would stay home.
    Quote by Jonathan: "The Parkers have strong bodies and sound minds but they also have a mean streak, every one of them." This has been confirmed by other members of the family.
    So far as Jonathan knows, none of the Parkers were slave owners. But during the Civil War, all of Garrison's sons fought for the south.
    After Garrison Parker's sons got big enough, they took up for their mother, against the drunken father.
    When the Garrison Parker family came to Arkansas by an Ox team hitched to an old tar pole wagon, they settled within 3 miles of what is now Yellville, Arkansas about 1833. Jonathan has seen the old wagon many times. At that time the town was called Shawnee. The name was changed when General Yell fought a battle there during the Civil War, and won. Their farm was northeast of Yellville. It is now known as the Nat Estes Place. Garrison and Mary Parker lived on this farm about 5 years and then they moved to Jimmy's Creek. Simon Osborn (a grandson) bought the farm at Jimmy's Creek after they died.
    His family was one of the first English Families to settle in this section along with the Thomps McCracken and Old Uncle Bobby King's families, and the Pangles, and the Pilgrims. These were all the names that Jonathan could recall. There were still plenty of Indians in this territory. Jonathan's mother was 1/4 Cherokee.
    Garrison Parker reached the ripe old age of 110, so he said. He is buried at Georges Creek with his wife Mary. (This is in error because the graves are at Fairview Cemetery). He died about the year 1892.
    Mary Johnson-Parker was born about 1798, and reared in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. There she met her husband, Garrison Parker, and they migrated to Arkansas together, with their three boys, J.W., Joe and Doc.
    Mary was 30 years old when she married Garrison Parker. After they broke up housekeeping in Tennessee and moved to Arkansas she never saw her brothers and sisters again.
    Mary Johnson-Parker was full blood Dutch-German. Her grandfather on her mother's side was named Hoover. She spoke of him and her Hoover kin many times. Jonathan says this is the same Hoover family from which descended Herbert Hoover. Herbert's forefathers were Dutch-German and lived in this region at this time. That being the case, she was a descendant of Andrew Hoover who was born in Germany and emigrated in his youth to the English Colonies in America. He married Margaret Fouts about 1740.
    Mary weighed about 130 pounds in her old days. She was short and heavy set. Mary had a stout set of lungs. She would call her cows in the evening and people on White River could hear her voice five miles away and the name of the cow, "Seller". Mary was a fine woman and was a hard working person. She lived to be 98 years old and is buried at George's Creek. (This is in error, the grave markers are at Fairview Cemetery and could have been moved there when the Bullshoals Dam was built.) She died about 1886.

Children of Garrison and Mary Parker. These may not be listed in correct order of birth but they are related as Jonathan Parker told Ruth Jackson.

1.) W.M. Parker - Uncle Bill
2.) Joe Parker - Joe
3.) Doc Parker - Doc
4.) Jonathan Parker - Uncle Dick
5.) George Parker - George
6.) Ebb Parker-Stacy - Aunt Ebb
7.) Margaret Parker - Died in early childhood
8.) Adeline Parker-Brand - Aunt Add
9.) Tildie Parker-Osborn - Aunt Tildie
10.) Catherine Parker-Hudson - Aunt Puss

Information about the children of Garrison and Mary Parker as remembered by Jonathan Parker.

1.) W.M. Parker (Uncle Bill) b. 25 Oct 1832 d. 17 Mar 1923, age 91. Married Mary E. McCracken and was a minister in Christian Church. Their son, J.W. and his wife Mary lived down on Jimmy's Creek near his Daddy's place. He was a useful citizen.

1.) Billie Parker b. 22 Apr 1861 d. 7 Mar 1923

a. Silas
b. Chastine
c. Dulsene
d. Sis

2.) Joe Parker was born about 1833 and married Leat Bailes (The best I understood her name). Joe Parker was in the Civil War and after the war he moved to Carrolton Missouri. He was considered the Black Sheep of the family. Joe Parker killed Uncle John Hudson's brother, Jerry. Jerry was Aunt Catherine Parker-Hudson's brother-in-law.

The story of the killing goes like this -
    People were destitute and hungry so soon after the Civil War. Jerry Hudson was out in the woods and found a hog. He was in need of food and killed the hog for meat. Joe Parker and some other men - namely - Gid Thompson and Tom Sanders - came upon Jerry and killed him for the hog. They threw his body in an abandoned mine shaft. When Jerry did not come home, his family started searching for him and found the body in the mine shaft. Joe had to leave the country because people were so mad. He moved out to Missouri and later moved to Greer Oklahoma, where he died.

3.) Doc Parker was the third of Garrison and Mary Parker's children. Doc was just the opposite of Joe. He was a good, clean, upright citizen. He fought in the Civil War and married Jane Rector. She was the Aunt of Mr. D.F. Slagle of Harrison, Arkansas. D.F. Slagle is now 91 years old. He lived with his Aaunt and Uncle two years after the Civil War. Doc Parker and his wife, Jane moved to Carrollton, Missouri, after Joe made his rapid departure for that place. Doc and Jane Parker had 3 children a) Billy Parker b) Bonnie Parker c) The third name Jonathan cannot remember.
    Doc Parker and his family came back to Arkansas in a wagon, drawn by a team of mule for a visit. Doc's son, Billy and Jonathan, Jr (narrator of the story) were about the same age and their old dog Rover went squirrel hunting. They treed ten squirrels in a hackberry tree and they killed all ten of the squirrels.

4.) Jonathan Parker, Sr (Fourth son of Garrison and Mary Parker) was born about 1835. He too fought in the Civil War. He served in Capt. William Carroll Pace's Co A, 14^th Arkansas Infantry for The Confederate States of America. Jonathan Sr. first married Elizabeth Bown. She was 1/4 Cherokee Indian and they had three children - Susan Parker, Emaline Parker and Jonathan Parker, Jr (narrator)
    After the death of his first wife, Elizabeth Bown-Parker, he married Minerva Clayton. They had four children - one girl and three boys. Joe Parker, Lewis Parker, Bunk Parker. Molly Parker
    Bunk and Molly are both still living in 1950. Molly lives in Kingston, Arkansas. Jonathan Jr says "Now the woods is full of Parkers."
    Jonathan Jr. was born Nov 17, 1864. His mother died when he was 3 yrs of age. His father died a few years later. Jonathan Jr lived with his grandmother, Mary Johnson Parker and his Aunt Catherine Hudson (Aunt Puss). At the age of 25 Jonathan Jr married Jan 8, 1891, to Loucinda Hampton, who was born 31 Mar 1873 and died 22 Dec 1914. Jonathan Jr. and Loucinda had a hard time getting started. They had 7 children:

1 - Euna Parker b. 12-8-1891 m. Dobbs one daughter, Bertha and one son - George Kirby Coffman, age 10 in 1950
2 - Joe Parker b. 27 Jul 1895, lives in Oklahoma
3 - Olla Belle Parker b 16 Jul 1895 m. Roberts
4 - Lavena Parker b. 23 Jul 1897 m. Malone
5 - Birtie Elmer Parker b. 10 Oct 1901 m Golden
6 - Georgie Parker b 27 May 1903 m Dr. Floyd Barr
7 - Marjorie Eliz. Parker b 8 Aug 1908 m Miller

5._ George Parker, 5^th son of Garrison and Mary Johnson Parker.
    He was too young to fight in the Civil War when it first started but enlisted before the war was over. He was a good citizen and a fine man. He married Mary Mitchell, who lived on Jimmy's Creek.

The children of George Washington Parker and Mary Jane Mitchell are

1 - John Franklin "Bud" Parker b 8 May 1872 d.24 ? 1962 ;m Elizabeth Jane Pace b. 20 Mar 1872 d 6 Jun 1959
2 - G.W. "Dump" Parker b. 1874 d 1937 m Mide McElyea
a - Don N. Parker b. 4 Jan 1899 d Nov 4 192?
B - Walsie Parker (female)
3 - Ellis Parker b 1876 m Allie
4 - James Cam Parker b 29 Oct 1877 d 26 Sep 1960 m Magdelena Brown Sanders b. 8 Jul 1879 d Nov 1972
5 - Joseph W. Parker (Joe) b. 21 Oct 1878 d 12 May 1946 m Eliza Jane Sanders b. 22 May 1882 d 5 Feb 1961
6 - Elzie Parker m Winnie Sanders
7 - Wallie Parker m. Delia Osborn
8 - Magdalena Parker b 8 Jul 1879 d 10 Nov 1972 m Perry McElyea
9 - Ida Parker m Frank Kirkland

6.) Ebb Parker m. John Stacy and moved to Oklahoma Territory while young and Jonathan knows nothing more about their family.

7.) Margaret Parker died in early childhood. She had a box of home made toys when she died. Her mother kept these toys through the years, stored in the rafters. Jonathan says he would climb the wall of the old log house and look at the toys.

8.) Jane Parker m. Coker and they had two children Ben and Charlotte. They lived in Marion County for a while, then moved out of the state.

9.) Adeline Parker (Aunt Add) m William J. Brand
    I do not wish to show disrespect to any individual in writing this family history, but an endeavoring to get the facts as accurate as possible. Jonathan's statements are mostly black about Aunt Add. She and her brother Joe were considered the black sheep of the family. The stories told by different members of her family are "Hair raising". Her own daughter, Arizona told of her cruelty and refused to wait on her when she was ill because Add had been so mean to her.
    W.J. Brand came to Marion County, Arkansas from Sedalia, Missouri at age 16.

Add and W.J. Brand's children as told by Jonathan

1 - Mary E. Brand b 1 Jun 1871 d 26 Jul 1877
2 - John Calvin Brand b 27 Jan 1868
3 - George Washington Brand b 1867
4 - Rozena Brand-Hicks b 15 Jan 1874 d 1929
5 - Arizona Brand-Jackson b 1 Sep 1879 d 24 Aug 1950
6 - Dr Mathew Brand b 1882

Mary E. died when a little girl. She was buried at Wildcat Cemetery in Marion County near Flippin, now known as Fairview. Her father, W.J. Brand, erected the first tombstone in this cemetery. However, there were many graves already there. In 1947 this cemetery was moved to make way for the huge lake formed by Bull Shoals Dam.
    Add was a large, fat woman, her hair was sort of blonde and her complexion fair. The children only called her Aunt because they were afraid not to. She was as mean as the Devil. She would beat her own daughters and make them wear bonnets to hide the bruises.
    Jonathan relates this story. He said it was as plain in his memory as if it was yesterday. A little orphan girl, named Cynthia Duff, was living with Add. Orphans in those days had to live where they could find shelter. One Sunday the Brand Family went to the Garrison Parker's for the day, as was their custom. The little girl had scabbed over spots on the front of her legs as big as dollars. Jonathan was very small, but he asked Cynthia - What is wrong with your legs? - Cynthia said she would tell him, but he had to promise not to tell anyone or Add would kill her. Jonathan promised and Cynthia said that Add made her kneel before the fire until her legs blistered. Add had a fight with her daughter-in-law, George's wife. The neighbors went in and tried to talk to Add and asked Add not to hurt her. But Add said - I aim to kill her. The neighbors kept Add from hurting the girl. This happened at Valley Springs. These two stories were selected from among numerous stories of her cruelty.

9.) Tildie Parker m William Wiley Osborn, Sr. He served in Co B during the Civil War. They lived in Marion County, near Flippin and had 6 children. France Osborn, Jones Osborn, father of Simon, Bert, Bill, Doc, Joe, Hun
    Tildie had a little of the mean streak in her, but not nearly so wicked as Add.

10.) Catherine Parker (Aunt Puss) married John B. Hudson and they lived on the headwaters of George's Creek all their lives. Catherine was born 28 Nov 1840 and died 6 Nov 1916. Catherine and John had several children. All died young except these: Ike, Jim, Sarah Jane and Mary
>     Catherine was a low heavy-set woman when young. Her hair was fairly dark and fair complexion. She was a very kind, gentle woman. She was religious and too good for her own good. She had a gift for making money. The Hudsons were Baptist. Jonathan tells this story about the time he went to live with his Aunt Catherine and Uncle John Hudson. He said they were regular at going to church. One evening about an hour by sun, uncle John came in from work and said "Old Woman, get an early supper and we will go to church." This scared Jonathan because he was afraid of the shoating Baptists he had heard about but had never seen. When they got to the church house, Uncle John tied the horses and Jonathan got a "death-grip" on Aunt Catherine's dress-tail. They went inside the church and Uncle John went to the Amen Corner. After a while the shouting started. Old Lady Davis (the preacher's wife), Mrs. Fate Sharp, Mrs. Roper and Aunt Catherine led the bunch. Jonathan was scared to death and sneaked out to the wagon. He took the spring-seat off, put it on the floor and crawled under it. After church they started hunting for him and when they got close by he decided to answer from under the wagon seat. He soon learned not to be afraid of the shouting Baptists.

Children of Catherine Parker and John B. Hudson

1 - Ike Hudson married Bertie Hawkins. They live near the Holmes Cemetery at Beleforte this year, 1950

Their children were:

A - John A. Hudson b 10 Apr 1899 d 30 Aug 1919
B - Loren Hudson
C - Raymond A. Hudson b 30 Apr 1914 d 4 Jan 1949
D - Cora Hudson married Dobbs and lives in Washington state
E - Ralph Hudson lives in California
F - Henry Hudson lives in the state of Washington

2 - Jim Hudson b 1881 d 1947 m Terrisaa Tabor b Jan 1883 still living in 1950 on George's Creek. They reared a large faamily

3 - Sarah Jane Hudson Sharpe m S.W. Sharpe and lived at Pyatt, Arkansas. Sarah Jane is one of Catherine Parker Hudson's children and the granddaughter of Garrison and Mary Parker.