1921
Ellen
2012
Ellen Parker
March 11, 1921 — September 27, 2012
TUCSON, ARIZ. -- Ellen Greene Parker, beloved mother, grandmother and great grandmother was called home to be with her Lord on Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012.
Funeral: 11 a.m. Saturday at Whites Chapel United Methodist Church in the Founders Chapel, 185 S. Whites Chapel Blvd., Southlake, with entombment to follow in Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park, Colleyville. Visitation: The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Lucas Funeral Home, 700 W. Wall St., Grapevine.
Ellen was born on March 11, 1921, in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. She came to the United States when she was 5 years old and the family settled in Vermont. Ellen was the youngest of six children. At age 11, due to the ill-timed death of her mother, Ellen went to live with Dr. William Lazell and his wife, Louise. She graduated from Spaulding High School in Barre and trained as a nurse at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, Vt. She moved to Granville, N.Y., in 1942 and got a job working at the local hospital. It was there that she met a handsome dairy farmer, Nathaniel W. Parker II, while he was delivering milk to the hospital. They fell in love and two years later they were married. They had four children, two with health challenges. Determined to do whatever necessary to help their two sons, Ellen and Nat followed the doctors' recommendation to leave the farm and move their family to Tucson, Ariz., in 1960. Years later, after selling their shares of the family dairy farm in New York, Ellen and Nat bought the Royal Inn of Tucson. In 1973 they invested in their sons' business venture, Trail Dust Steak Houses in Dallas. While expanding the restaurants in Colorado and Texas, Nat and Ellen split their time between their homes in Tucson and Arlington.
Ellen was an extraordinary woman who had a remarkable spirit, fabulous style, and always an amazing outlook on life. We are grateful for her faith, warmth, humor and love, and have been especially blessed by her choice of our wonderful father "Papa" for her life partner. Together they provided a loving and happy home for which we will always be grateful.
Ellen was preceded in death by her loving daughter, Nancy Parker Martin, and her adoring husband of 67 years, Nat "Dub."
She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by her three sons, Nathaniel W. Parker III (Kathryn), Douglas A. Parker (Kathy), and Richard G. Parker (Laura). Other surviving family members include son-in-law, Matthew D. Martin II; grandchildren, "Tan" Nathaniel W. Parker IV, Shawn Parker, Nicolle Parker Ohman, Ryan Parker, Ellen Martin Duplantis, Matthew D. Martin III, Douglas A. Parker Jr., Brandon Parker, Cody Johnson, Jennifer Parker Sheen, Melanie Parker Berg, Adam Parker, their spouses; and 10 great-grandchildren. We are all greatly blessed because of her life and her love.
Funeral: 11 a.m. Saturday at Whites Chapel United Methodist Church in the Founders Chapel, 185 S. Whites Chapel Blvd., Southlake, with entombment to follow in Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Park, Colleyville. Visitation: The family will receive friends from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Lucas Funeral Home, 700 W. Wall St., Grapevine.
Ellen was born on March 11, 1921, in Sackville, New Brunswick, Canada. She came to the United States when she was 5 years old and the family settled in Vermont. Ellen was the youngest of six children. At age 11, due to the ill-timed death of her mother, Ellen went to live with Dr. William Lazell and his wife, Louise. She graduated from Spaulding High School in Barre and trained as a nurse at Mary Fletcher Hospital in Burlington, Vt. She moved to Granville, N.Y., in 1942 and got a job working at the local hospital. It was there that she met a handsome dairy farmer, Nathaniel W. Parker II, while he was delivering milk to the hospital. They fell in love and two years later they were married. They had four children, two with health challenges. Determined to do whatever necessary to help their two sons, Ellen and Nat followed the doctors' recommendation to leave the farm and move their family to Tucson, Ariz., in 1960. Years later, after selling their shares of the family dairy farm in New York, Ellen and Nat bought the Royal Inn of Tucson. In 1973 they invested in their sons' business venture, Trail Dust Steak Houses in Dallas. While expanding the restaurants in Colorado and Texas, Nat and Ellen split their time between their homes in Tucson and Arlington.
Ellen was an extraordinary woman who had a remarkable spirit, fabulous style, and always an amazing outlook on life. We are grateful for her faith, warmth, humor and love, and have been especially blessed by her choice of our wonderful father "Papa" for her life partner. Together they provided a loving and happy home for which we will always be grateful.
Ellen was preceded in death by her loving daughter, Nancy Parker Martin, and her adoring husband of 67 years, Nat "Dub."
She was deeply loved and will be greatly missed by her three sons, Nathaniel W. Parker III (Kathryn), Douglas A. Parker (Kathy), and Richard G. Parker (Laura). Other surviving family members include son-in-law, Matthew D. Martin II; grandchildren, "Tan" Nathaniel W. Parker IV, Shawn Parker, Nicolle Parker Ohman, Ryan Parker, Ellen Martin Duplantis, Matthew D. Martin III, Douglas A. Parker Jr., Brandon Parker, Cody Johnson, Jennifer Parker Sheen, Melanie Parker Berg, Adam Parker, their spouses; and 10 great-grandchildren. We are all greatly blessed because of her life and her love.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Ellen Parker, please visit our flower store.
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