Carl Forrest Parker, a 97-year-old resident of Trenton, died peacefully in his sleep at his farm on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016.
Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 22, 2016 at Resthaven Mortuary. Cremation will follow with inurnment at a later date in Humphreys Cemetery.
A visitation will be held from 6 until 7 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 21, 2016 at the mortuary.
Mr. Parker was born on Oct. 2, 1919 at the home of his parents, Floyd and Lillian Hamilton Parker. He graduated from Galt High School in 1939. In 1937, he was needed to pick tomatoes on the family farm and didn’t attend that year of high school.
He was inducted as a selectee in the U.S. Army in Chicago, IL in April of 1941. He was in the Americal Division and was the first U.S. Army unit to conduct an offensive in World War II by relieving the Marines on Guadalcanal. He was discharged as a staff sergeant on Aug. 31, 1945, after serving four years and three months. He was awarded the Infantryman’s Combat badge, two Combat Stars and the Bronze Star.
Mr. Parker returned to Chicago, where he was employed as a steward on a dining car for the Alton Railroad. He met his wife, Shirley Ann Haslam on a blind date. They were married on Feb. 12, 1949 at Chicago, IL. They moved to Trenton to the farm, where they lived all their lives. They were dairy farmers from 1949 to 1986. They joined in partnership with their son, Douglas when he graduated from college in 1974. In 1981, Douglas married Lynn Cheek and she joined the partnership. Carl and Shirley retired from dairy farming in October of 1986, and sold the farming equipment in March 1987.
In that same year, 1987 through 2005, Carl and Shirley continued feeding and grazing dairy calves and heifers for Bill and Sarah Siebenborn. Also in 1987, they teamed up with their neighbor, Fred Simpson, who farmed Carl and Shirley’s land until present.
His wife, Shirley died in 2003. In 2006, he started piecing quilts in the winter to keep busy and continued to make one to two quilts every year through 2010.
He is survived by his daughter, Barbara Parker of Trenton; a son and daughter-in-law, Douglas and Lynn Parker of Liberty; a sister, Evelyn Ash of Colona, IL; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; wife; brothers, Stanley Parker and Dale Parker; and sisters, Lorraine Fredell, and a five-year-old sister, Leila.
Memorial donations are suggested to the Wounded Warrior Project and may be left at or mailed to the funeral home.
Online condolences may be left at www.whitakereads.com
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