Parsons, Mary Hannah King

Passed: 1954-03-13

Age: 83

Source: Jackson Herald

Death Notice: 1954-03-13

Obituary Date:

Information: A TRIBUTE BY T. CLAYTON PARSONS - Mother came from two distinguished pioneer families of Jackson county.  Through each generation these families took an active and important part in church, civic and educational affairs.  Her great-grandfather, Abraham Staats, who purchased his farm and settled at Evans in 1806, soon after this became a member and secretary of the first Methodist Church class in this part of the county.  Her grandfather, Samuel King's home, who settled just below Ripley a few years later, was the meeting and organization place of the Methodist Church at what is now Ripley and continued to be until the first court house was erected in 1833.  It is known that services of this church were held at his place about 1820, or sooner.  Her father, G. S. M. King, was the Civil War sheriff of our county, was active in public affairs and man of influence and prominence.  Both he and his wife Caroline Staats King, were leaders in the Methodist church.  Mother was granted a first grade teacher's certificate at the age of seventeen and taught eight terms of school prior to her marriage to Lovell M. Parsons in 1896.  She mothered three of us boys by his first wife, Caroline Staats Parsons, who had died two years previously.  Her Christian work and teaching ability gave us an excellent home and proper training.  To her we were the same as her own children.  Her own children were Mrs. D. M. Dorsey, wife of the Baptist minister at Salem, L. M. Parsons, Jr., Baltimore, Ohio, W. King Parsons and F. W. D. Parsons, both of Ripley.  Here she also did an outstanding work with them too.  She was always active in her church from young girlhood.  After she and dad had become residents of Ripley they united with the United Brethren Church and were among the guiding spirits that helped make possible our church property in Ripley.  With her encouragement, her husband with the pastor of the church personally supervised the erection of the present church property.  She was born July 7, 1870, and died March 13, 1954.  She was blessed with a long and fruitful life that will be cherished by us children through the years to follow.  No child can repay the efforts of a good mother no matter how much they do.  I write these words as an expression of appreciation for her work with me.