Taylor County, TX - Obituary - George William Parker, Sr. **************************************************************************** This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Dorman Holub Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm **************************************************************************** The Fort Worth Star Telegram Friday, 27 December 1957 George William Parker, sr., 94, dean of U.S. District Court clerks and one of the federal governmentÕs oldest employees until his retirement last year died Thursday in his apartment at Westchester House. Parker had been ill since he suffered a heaert attack in September. He was hospitalized for a month, then was moved to the home of a son, G.W. Parker, Jr. A week later he gained enough strength that he asked to return to his apartment. Two of ParkerÕs sons and other members of the family spent a considerable part of Christmas Day with him at the apartment and had visited with him shortly before he died. ParkerÕs only hobby was work, and he retired from his clerkÕs post only after a new law set 70 as the mandatory retirement age for a number of federal employees. He observed his 61st year as a federal employee 17 October 1956. A native of Georgia, he took his first job with the government in 1895 as secretary and court reporter to the late Federal Judge John B. Rector. Parker was the son of a schoolmaster, but his father died while Parker was an infant. He was reared on a farm and received little formal schooling. He had been clerking in a store in Georgia two years when he came to Texas in 1884 and landed a similar job at Farmersville, where a sister had moved earlier. He came to Fort Worth in 1898. He was married in 1905 to the former Minnie Nash, whose father, the late Zeb Nash, founded the Nash Hardware Company. Mrs. Parker died in 1948. During his federal career Parker, in addition to the other posts, had served as court crier, bailiff, deputy marshal, marshal and commissioner. He was honored in 1955 along with Federal Judge Estes at a testimonial dinner given by the Fort Worth Bar Association. He became the U.S. District Court Clerk for the Northern District of Texas in 1925. In tribute to him at the testimonial dinner, one speaker said that Ņlawyers in particular and people in general having business with the federal courts long have loved and admired Mr. Parker and appreciated his courtesy and consideration.Ó The bar previously had honored Parker on this 50th anniversary as a federal employee in 1945, presenting him with a silver pitcher and goblet in the courtroom here of the late Federal Judge James C. Wilson. ParkerÕs last day in the clerkÕs office here was marked by a surprise farewell arranged by his deputy clerks and was attended by scores of attorneys and other friends. He was a member of Braodway Baptist church and had been a member of the Fort Worth Club since 14 March 1904, making him one of the clubÕs oldest continuous members. Until he moved to the apartment house in 1951, Parker had resided at 504 S. Ballinger, in the home he built in 1905. The house was razed and the lot now is used for parking at Doctors General Hospital. Mr. Parker was the step-grandfather of three Abilenians: Mrs. Earl Guitar, Ed Grissom and Charles Grissom. Funeral set for Saturday at Broadway BaptistÕs Fleming Chapel. Robertson-Mueller-Harper funeral home in charge. Survivors: 3 sons Š James N. and G.W. Parker, Jr. of Fort Worth; Clarence Parker of New York; daughter Š Mrs. Hardy Grissom, formerly of Abilene, now of Dallas since 1948; 5 grandchildren; 3 great grandchildren.