Nell Parks

Nell Lane Parks, age 93, of Whitney and a former long time resident of Meridian, passed away Thursday morning, March 6, 2014 in a Whitney nursing facility. Nell was born October 23, 1920, in Clifton, Texas. She was a daughter of James Grover Lane and Winnie F. Cooksey Lane. She attended school in Clifton and later while attending Clifton Lutheran Junior College, she met her soul mate.

She married Walter Byron Parks, Jr. on February 14, 1943, in Beaumont. The couple made their home in Meridian where Walter served as superintendent of schools. They had four children. Nell was mainly a wife and homemaker. She was well known for her cooking skills and especially for her homemade fresh coconut cakes. As the children grew up, Nell worked as a substitute rural mail carrier and at the Monday auction at the Auction Barn in Meridian. She was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church in Meridian. Nell loved to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She is survived by her children, Mike parks and wife, Luann, of Godley, Debbie Brooks and husband, Joe, of Whitney, and Cindy Parks of Laguna Park; grandchildren, Jody Brooks and wife, Christy, of Whitney, Laura Booth and husband, Jon, of Weatherford, Jeff Parks and wife, Shelly, Jennifer Wooten and husband, David, and Julie Cedeno and husband, James, all of Pensacola, Florida; 11 great-grandchildren; sister, Mary Grove, of North Richland Hills; and a number of other relatives and many friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Grover and Winnie Lane; husband, Walter B. Parks, Jr.; a son, Byron Parks; sisters, Polly Miller and Betty Hathcock; and brothers, Ralph and Lloyd Lane.

Funeral services were held at 11:00 A. M., Saturday, March 8, 2014, in the Meridian First Baptist Church with Rev. Richard Creech officiating. Interment was in the Clifton Cemetery. Pallbearers were Jody Brooks, Jon Booth, Mike Stewart, Vernon Rowe, Jeff Parks, Larry Harvey, and Hunter Brooks.

The Parks family would like to thank the staff at Park Plaza Nursing Home in Whitney and Providence Hospice. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Park Plaza Nursing Home in Whitney or First Baptist Church in Meridian.

Thoughts and memories may be sent to the family at www.lawsonfuneralhome.net

Arrangements by Lawson Funeral Home, Meridian, 254-435-2792.