St. Clair County Obits

RAY HARDEN PARKER
 
Clinton Eye
November 1940
Ray Parker, son of former City Police Judge, Frank C. Parker, of Clinton, came to a sad death about 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 26, by a self inflicted rifle shot in his left temple. He had not been well, and earlier that morning had been to the office of Dr. S. B. Hughes for medicine then returned to the home of his father where he and his bride of a few months were making their home until their own distinctive stone house on South Water Street was completed. About 11:00 a.m., Mr. Parker told his wife that he was going to his blacksmith shop on Center Street and when at 12:30 he had not returned his brother, Elliott Parker, went to the shop to tell him to come to dinner. He arrived to find the front door locked but looking through a window he saw the body of his brother lying near the back of the shop. He hurried to get the sheriff, who summoned the coroner, and on their return found the back door unlocked and entered there. Ray Harden Parker, eldest son of the 11 children of Judge Frank Parker and his wife, the late Ollie Ann Rogers Parker, whose death occurred September 5, 1938, was born July 23 1898, near Teays Chapel and was a graduate of Antioch School. The family moved to Clinton in 1921 where he had since made his home and had established himself in business, being an expert in iron work and a skilled mechanic in all types of blacksmithing. The handsome iron work at the courthouse is a sample of his craftsmanship and he also did much work on the new cemetery fence, still under construction. His abilities also extended to architectural and cement lines, and so exact and complete was his knowledge of them that he designed and had done practically all the work on the two story rock house on South Water Street that was to have been his home and while not quite complete, in construction it is one of the most distinctive residences in Clinton. Miss Bernice Vansant, daughter of Frank Vansant, and the late Susan Miller Vansant, well known South Henry County residents, had become his bride September 2, 1940. Mr. Parker was a former member of the Masonic and Elks lodges, a man who held the respect of his fellow citizens and the full love and sympathy of his family and friends. A quiet man, whose tastes were simple and his ambitions worthy, he leaves to mourn his death his stricken widow and father, one sister, Mrs. Goldie Parks, of Appleton City and six brothers, Elliot of the home; Hal R. and O. V. of Clinton; Clay E. Parker of Noel, Howard F. Parker of Cassville, and Woodrow Parker of Pasadena, Calif. Funeral services will be held at Teays Chapel Friday afternoon (subject to change) conducted by Rev. A. S. Olsen, Howard Vansant Funeral Service in charge.