Maj. Robert H. Parker Dead:

Major Robert H. Parker died this morning at 5:30 at his residence in this city. His death was not unexpected, as he had been confined
to his bed for the past several weeks. Last week he appeared to be improving, and his family and his friends entertained a hope that
he would get well, buy he grew worse last Saturday and gradually sank from that hour. He was surrounded by his faithful and devoted
wife and daughters, save Mrs. Dr. Fields, who had not arrived but was on the way.

Maj. Parker was born at Versailles, Ky., Sept. 16, 1828, and would have been 68 years old tomorrow.

His father was Dr. John T. Parker, and eminent physician of Lexington, Ky. and the family was related to some of the best and most
prominent people of Kentucky and Missouri, the Major being first cousin of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of the president.

He was married in 1851 to Miss Sallie Clarke, who survives him.

In 1860 he moved to Texas and settled in Collin county. When the war broke out he entered the Confederate service. After the war
from some time he engaged in stock shipping from Shreveport to New Orleans.

In 1882 he came to Abilene and engaged in the lumber business, and continued in that business until two or three years ago.

At the time of his death all of his children were with him save Mrs. Dr. Fields and his son, John T. They are Mrs. Hallie Adams, Mrs.
Bettie Kelley, Mrs. Sallie Willis, Mrs. Lavinia McDaniel, Misses Roberta and Neva, and Mrs. Nellie Davis.

Maj. Parker was a man of strong convictions; of indomitable energy, brave and kind, doing many deeds of charity, of which the
world knew nothing.

He was a Presbyterian, and will be buried from that church tomorrow morning at 9 o'clock.

To the bereaved family in this hour of great affliction the Reporter extends sincere sympathy.

COL. ROBERT H. PARKER

Intelligence has been received of the death, September 15, of Col. Robert H. Parker at his home in Abilene, Tex. Col. Parker was
born in Shelby county, in this state, being the son of Dr. John Todd Parker and Jane Logan Allen Parker. His grandfather, Maj. Robert
Parker, was a major in the Virginia line during the revolution, and after the war moved to Kentucky, settling in Lexington, where he
built the first brick house erected in that city. Although long a resident in Texas, Col. Parker took a lively interest in kentucky and her
citizens. The Crittendens, Logans, Murrays, Todds, Allens and others of the historic families of Kentucky were his kindred. Gov.
Crittenden, of Missouri, Gov. Eli H. Murray and Mrs. Abraham Lincoln were cousins of Col. Parker. He was widely known in this state
and Texas for his warm-hearted generosity and hospitality. His large size made him a conspicous figure in any crowd, he being
about six feet and a half in height and weighing about 361 pounds. Notwithstanding his size he was a very active man. Many years
ago Col. Parker married Miss Sallie Clarke, daughter of Joseph Clarke, of Franklin County, Ky., with a large family of grown children,
survives him.

Grandpa Parker was born at Versailles, Kentucky, September 16, 1828, dying one day before his 68th birthday.  His parents were
Jane Logan Allen and Dr. John Todd Parker, an eminent physician of Lexington, Kentucky. On the maternal side he was the grandson
of Col. John ALlen who was killed in the War of 1812, and on the paternal side he was the grandson of Major Robert Parker who
fought with the Virginia line in the Revolutionary War.  His great grandfather, General Benjamin Logan, won fame in this same war.

Major Robert Parker, Grandpa's grandfather, married Elizabeth R. Porter, eldest daughter of General Andrew Porter, also a
Revolutionary War hero. The couple built the first two-story house in Lexington in the late 1790's.  The husband died shortly afterwards
(in 1800), and his widow and six children lived on in the imposing house (a drawing of which was shown on you invitation-letter to
this re-union). The home was where our grandfather Parker's father (Dr. John Todd) was reared. Our great grandfather's (Dr. John)
sister, Eliza married Robert Todd. They were the parents of Mary Todd Lincoln, wife of President Abraham Lincoln. So our grandfather
Parker and Mary Todd were first  cousins. In the childhood they each played in the yard of this old Parker home in Lexington.

Our Grandpa Parker was college educated. He was widely known in Kentucky, and later in Texas, for his warm-hearted generosity
and hospitality. He was a man of strong convictions and indomitable energy, bravery, and kindness-doing many charitable deeds of
which the world knew nothing. His large size make him a conspicuous figure in any crowd, his being about 6 1/2 feet tall and
weighing 360 pounds.  Notwithstanding his size, he was a very active man.

He married Sarah Ann (also called Sallie) Clarke in 1851. She was the daughter of Harriet Julian Clarke and Joseph Clarke, who
fought in the war of 1812. The parents of Sallie lived in Franklin County, Kentucky, In 1860 the couple moved to Texas with three
children-they had lost one of their two daughters, Mary Jackson Parker, at about 2 1/2 years of age.  The Parkers settled on a farm
near McKinney, Texas. This is where their eight children were born later.

When the Civil War broke out Grandpa Parker enlisted in the Confederate Army, serving in the Commissary Department. After the
war he engaged in stock-shipping from Shreveport to New Orleans for a short time.  They returned to McKinney. Here was where
their son, Joseph, was accidentally killed. In 1883 he moved his family to Abilene on the last day of the year. At first Grandpa worked for
the only lumber company in this new town. A short time later he established his own company.

About 1884 the Parkers built the first two-story frame home erected in Abilene, Texas.  It was built at 2and and Butternut a few
hundred yards from the Parker Lumber Company. This is where Grandpa died in 1896 and where his wife continued to live until
her death 28 years later.

Our grandparents had a part in building the First Presbyterian Church at 3rd and Cedar. They had the pulpit furnishings made to
order in the East, and gave the seven pieces to the new church.  (You will see these lovely articles on our tour).

Written by Lavinia McDaniel Ward in 1984 for the Parker-Willis reunion in Abilene, Texas.

This article is from the March 7, 1937 Abilene Reporter News:

Five invitations to Abilene's 56th birthday party, to be held March 15 at the Hilton hotel, have been issued to five sisters, three of
whom now live in Abilene, and all of whom came here in 1883.

They are the Parker sisters-
Mrs. Samuel R. Cox (Maggie), Mrs. George W. McDaniel (Lavinia), Mrs. Tom Willis (Sallie), Mrs. D. P. Woodard (Neva) and Mrs.
Bettie P. Kelley

With their mother, Mrs. R. H, Parker, four sisters and a brother, they came to Abilene on Dec., 31, 1883. Maj. Parker, the father, had
been in Abilene since 1882, coming here to take charge of the J. G. Hayes Lumber Co., a branch of a Shreveport company. When the

firm was sold, Maj.  Parker opened his own lumber company at South Second and Elm streets where the Franklin Motor company
now stands. He later moved across the street, on the spot where the Coca Cola Bottling company now is, and built his home-- the
first two-story frame house in Abilene-- just west. Maj. Parker lived there until his death, in 1896. Mrs. Parker died in 1924.

Only members of the family still living are the five sisters.

Mrs. Cox, 1042 Hickory, is married to another old-timer. He came to Abilene Nov. 28, 1881, and resided a ranch near Ft. Phantom Hill
several years before moving to Abilene. Mrs. Cox was the widow of Dr. Samuel W. Field, and during his life lived in Mexico, Houston
and Beaumont, returning here shortly before she married Mr. Cox.

Mrs. McDaniel's husband came to Abilene in 1889. He purchased lumber from his father-in-law to build a home at 774 Butternut, and
from the time of his marriage until his death on May 20, 1931, he lived there.