Services for Martha Jane Parker, 94, Lawrence, will be held on Friday, August 18. The burial service will be at the Clinton Cemetery at 2:00 p.m. and Celebration of Life at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home at 5:00 p.m.
Martha Parker died Wednesday, August 9, 2023, surrounded by family at Lawrence Memorial Hospital.
She was born March 3, 1929, the daughter of Florence and Leslie Demeritt. She graduated from Liberty Memorial High School in 1945. She then received her teaching certificate from Kansas State University and taught as an elementary school teacher for 5 years. She married Roy Robert “Bob” Parker on February 16, 1951. Bob passed away September 12, 2008. They lived in Lawrence, KS., moved to Lee’s Summit, MO., then returned to Lawrence, KS before settling down in the Clinton area.
Martha was a founding member of Douglas County Amateur Baseball Association and Douglas County Landowners Association. Martha was a founding member and first chairwoman of the Bloomington-Clinton Historical Committee (now Clinton Lake Historical Society). She was the co-founder and Executive Director of the Wakarusa River Valley Museum in Clinton, KS. In 2000, she was inducted into the Hall of Honor at Lawrence High School for her work as an author and historian. Martha was the co-owner of Parker-Laird Enterprises and owner of Freedom Publishing Company. Martha co-authored the book, “Soil of Our Souls”, and wrote “Angels of Freedom”, in 1999. She authored the Historic Map of Clinton Lake in 1976, as well as a Contour Fishing Map of Clinton Lake. She was awarded a grant from the Kansas Committee for Humanities for “Plowshares to Waterskis” Clinton: Uprooted Kansas Community. Martha created or helped create nearly twenty permanent/traveling exhibits about the Clinton Lake area. Martha and the Historical Society commissioned a sculpture representing the Clinton-Bloomington communities and later arranged a ballet to perform in the setting depicting escaping slaves and their benefactors.
Under Martha’s leadership, the Wakarusa Valley Heritage Museum became a founding partner of Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area established by Congress in 2006, representing 41 counties, and over 230 partners, along the border of Kansas and Missouri.
For forty years before, Martha had been preserving the stories of the Abolitionists who settled in the Wakarusa Valley who fought for the Freedom of slaves through the Underground Railroad. Martha’s landmark book, “Angels of Freedom” details the lives of the men and women who homesteaded the Wakarusa Valley to fight against slavery, some sacrificing their lives in their crusade.
Martha preserved other colorful stories in her first book, “Soil of Our Souls”. Today, the Wakarusa Museum’s “Underground Railroad” exhibit showcases Martha’s passion and pride in sharing these inspiring stories of the enduring struggle for freedom.
Douglas County Commissioners made a proclamation honoring Martha for her 45 years of research and historic preservation of Douglas County and declared April 22, 2017 Martha Parker Day. The Sertoma Club recognized Martha with the Service to Mankind Award. She participated in the re-enactment of the Sarah Gardner story. Martha was a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and helped select scholarship recipients.
Martha’s political activities included Township Committeewoman Founder, past President of the Town & Country Republican Women, Douglas County Chairwoman for Phil Meinhardt for Congress and Ron Thornburg, Secretary of State candidate. Martha ran for State Representative of the 45th District. She attended, was in the choir and board member of the Clinton Presbyterian Church in Clinton, KS.
Other survivors include sons, Robert and Mark Parker, Lawrence; a daughter, Linda Parker, Houston, Texas. Her beloved grandchildren, Clint Jennings, Sally Jennings, Courtney Parker, Taylor Parker, Daren Parker, Haley (Parker) Morgan, Justice Mack and Tara (Mack) Malone. She is also survived by 13 great-grandchildren.
Husband, Bob Parker, daughter, Nancy Parker Taul, brother Leslie Demeritt, and sister, Mary Gordon preceded her in death.
The family will receive friends at Rumsey-Yost Funeral Home on Thursday, August 17, from 6:00-7:00 p.m.
The family suggests memorials to the (WRVHM) Wakarusa River Valley Heritage Museum, sent in care of the funeral home.
