Mary Ann Parker

Mary Ann Parker age 81 of rural Charles City, IA, died Wednesday, July 29, 2020, at her home surrounded by family.

Funeral service will be held privately for the family at Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City, IA with Rev. John Tunnicliff celebrating the service.

Interment will follow the service at Oak Hill Cemetery in Nashua with Kyle Johnson, Luke Hicok, Wes Hicok, Tyler Hicok, Brandon Hicok, Ryan Hicok, Jonah Parker and Dane Parker serving as pallbearers. Honorary pallbearers will be Ryan Graney and Brent Petersen. Hugeback Johnson Funeral Home and Crematory – Olson Chapel in Nashua is entrusted with arrangements.

Mary Ann was born on July 10, 1939, to Hans and Rosalind (Diller) Hansen on the family farm three miles north of Nashua. She was welcomed by one older sister, and they both were big sisters to twin brothers.

She attended country school just across the road from her family’s farm through the eighth grade and then transferred to Nashua High School, where she was a straight-A student and a member of the Class of 1957.

When she was growing up, Mary Ann’s parents and a neighboring couple, the Parkers, went dancing every Friday night and the children of both couples would stay together. The Parkers’ son Eldon was the oldest of all the kids so he was the de facto “babysitter” of the group, even though he was just a couple of years older than Mary Ann.

It was a match made in heaven, and on Oct. 23, 1958, Mary Ann and Eldon eloped in Princeton, Missouri, while Eldon was serving in the armed forces. Mary Ann was, as Eldon will tell you, “perfect.”

After Eldon was honorably discharged, the couple made their home on the farm where Mary Ann grew up. They had five children — Donna, who died in infancy, Julie, Sandra, Larry and Connie, and the Parkers remember growing up in a home where Mom baked homemade bread every Monday, where Mom was the best “homework helper” in the world and where both Mom and Dad taught them how a marriage is supposed to work.

Mary Ann and Eldon loved to play cards and were members of a neighborhood card club for 40 years. And if it was a Friday night, the Parker kids knew where mom and dad were — the dance floor at the Hootenanny in Oelwein. The couple loved to trout fish together, and in their younger days, they often took family camping trips.

As good of a mother as Mary Ann was, she was an even better grandmother to her 18 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren. Mary Ann loved to crochet, and she made the most beautiful afghans and baby blankets.

She and her husband were longtime members of Trinity United Methodist Church in Charles City. She had a quick sense of humor, and she also provided lessons in perseverance, strength and love to those who knew her. She fought hard for her time on earth, and she will be dearly missed.

Mary Ann is survived by her husband Eldon Parker of Charles City, IA; four children, Julie (Donald) Petersen of Frederika, IA, Sandra (Rodney) Hicok of Webster City, IA, Larry (Melissa) Parker of Anchorage, AK, Connie (Steve) Johnson of Center Point, IA,; 18 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; one brother, Duane (Linda) Hansen of Charles City, IA; one sister, May Wilkinson of Charles City, IA.

She was preceded in death by her parents; one daughter, Donna Parker; one brother, Dewitt Hansen;four sister-in-laws Terry Hansen, Lucille Parker, Delores Martin, Marlene Smith; one brother-in-law, Max Wilkinson.