THE THOMAS FAMILY &
SOMETHING OF THEIR BACKGROUND
(And as much as I know of both sides of the Parker
Family. For our children who may be interested.)
by Beatrice Thomas Parker
Rev. L.L.F. Parker (Fox) and Beatrice Thomas were married
in June 1911 at the old Macedonia Baptist Church at Hix,
Texas. I was 18, he was 28, and was pastor of the 2nd
Baptist Church in Paris, Texas, a town in North Texas and at
that time of about 15,000 population.
The Littles, Thomases, & Fosters
My Mother was Elizabeth Little, her pet name was
"Birdie". That name stuck with her through life. Mother had
two brothers, Uncle Bob was the oldest and determined to be
a doctor, so he went to medical college in Louisville, Ky.
There was no medical college in Texas at that time. Uncle
John, several years younger than Bob, wanted to be a doctor
too. In Texas at that time, a person could study under a
doctor, and take the state examination; if he passed the
test, he could practice medicine. Uncle John passed and was
an M.D. until his death. Mother had five sisters; Kate,
Sallie, Alice, Nellie & Mollie. My Papa was named Sid B.
Thomas, had two brothers, Monroe (nicknamed Coon because he
liked to hunt coons when a young boy and man) the other
& youngest was named Charley. He had two sisters, one
named Mary, the other nicknamed Nin (I don't know her real
name). My grandma Thomas was a Foster. Her brother had a son
named Stephen Foster. He and Mary were near the same age and
were chums. Stephen was a musician and wrote music. He was
interested in the condition of the slaves, and stayed around
them since his dad owned slaves, to learn their songs. He
jotted down the music as he learned the tunes, and also the
words that went with the music. Such songs as "My Old
Kentucky Home", "Carry Me Back to Old Virginny", "Suwanee
River, or Old Folks At Home," etc. Preserving the slave
songs for the people to hear, contributed to the South
getting a conscience against slavery. I have no doubt that
slaves would have been freed without a Civil War if the
North had not said, "You've got to Free the Slaves", "We'll
make you". No free people like to be told that.
Stephen gave a copy of his book of songs to Papa's sister
Mary. He wrote on the fly-leaf of his book, From "Steve"
Foster to my dear cousin, Mary Thomas". Aunt Mary's
daughter, Allie Lusk treasured that book her mother left
her. "Steve" had written some of the songs in the book he
gave to Mary Thomas. My grandpa Thomas was named Jim Thomas,
the son of Col. Daniel Thomas whose plantation lay 6 miles
along the Bran river in South Carolina. Daniel Thomas was a
Colonel in the war of 1812. My Papa said there is a
tradition handed down the Thomas line that a Thomas came
over to America with Capt. John Smith to Virginia, the first
English to come to explore the land and claim it for
England. Most of the men who came had lost their wealth in
England and came, thinking they would find gold as the
Spanish had done in Mexico. You remember that Capt. John
Smith declared a rule that "He that wouldn't work shouldn't
eat". This made the men have to stop hunting gold and plant
grain for food, so they could survive. I learned in later
life that he got the rule from the Bible: 2 Thes. 3:10.
After the wives were brought over for the group of Capt.
Smith's men, a permanent settlement was made at Jamestown,
Virginia. As the sons of the first Thomas family of Virginia
grew up, they went to other parts of this new land. Daniel
settled in South Carolina as mentioned above. Jim (my great
grandpa) grew up on the plantation. He became a Christian
and thought it was wrong to own slaves; but great grandpa
Daniel Thomas had many slaves who cultivated the six miles
stretch of plantation along the Bran river with 75 plowhands
besides the other field workers. When Jim (who became a
Baptist preacher) Thomas & Elisa Foster married, they
continued to live in South Carolina for a number of years.
The new territory of Arkansas was opened for settlement and
they moved there, settled in Yell County, a mountain region.
My Papa, Sid, was six years old when they moved there. He
stayed there 15 years when had a yearning to come to Texas.
He lived in Texas the rest of his life. He was 28 yrs. old
when he and Mama married, she was 14 years old. They bought
land in Burleson County and lived there the rest of their
lives except 4 years when they moved to the South Plains and
bought a 1/4 section of land. They moved because of Sid Jr.,
the youngest child, who had asthma in Burleson Co. The 4
years on the Plains helped him so much, they moved back home
at the end of W.W. I, when the oldest son, Jim (my brother),
was to come home from the war.
The Parkers
(Now I shall write something about the Parker side of our
family)
Rev. W. A. Parker, the father of Fox, married Sue
Williamson about 1870, they both lived in Alabama. Sue's
father had been a teacher in the University of Virginia
before moving to the new land of Alabama. I do not know much
about the family except they had many slaves. Sue had said,
"The freeing of slaves was a great blessing to the Southern
white women". The slaves did everything for them, even
bathing and dressing them. W.A. Parker was a Baptist
minister. He and Sue had seven sons and three daughters:
Albert, oldest son and Goodwyn, oldest daughter. Then Will
and Eula were next; after that Jake (Jacob), Joe, then Emma,
Fox, John & Douglas were the three youngest children.
Albert, Joe, Fox, John & Douglas became Baptist
ministers, serving in Alabama, and Texas. Goodwyn married a
Baptist minister, Rev. Mize. They had one son, George E.
Mize, PHD. Rev. Jacob Parker was W.A. Parker's father; Fox's
grand father pastored churches in Alabama. Albert served in
Arizona a few years. W.A. Parker pastored churches in
Alabama and moved to Texas in 1912. Fox had come to Texas in
1906 and served as first pastorate in Texas at Somerville.
He had graduated at Howard College, Birmingham, Alabama and
did some graduate work in Baylor U. at Waco after coming to
Texas. Fox's great-grandfather was not a minister, but his
great-great-grandfather was. In an old Alabama History of
Baptists, gives this about Rev. Jacob Parker (Fox's
Great-Great-Grandfather) About March 1810 a Baptist church
was organized in the present territory of Sumpter County
near the Mississippi line by Rev. Jacob Parker.
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HIGH HONOR PAID TO MRS. L.L.F.
PARKER
On Oct. 24, members of the Muldoon Baptist Church
observed a special day in honor of Mrs. L.L.F. (Beatrice)
Parker. A tribute to Mrs. Parker, entitled "This Is Your
Life," was read. A copy of the tribute follows:
"We, the members of the Muldoon Baptist Church, declare
this, the 24th day of October, 1976 'Mrs. L.L.F. (Beatrice)
Parker Day.' We name her an outstanding citizen, church
member, and Christian. On this sabbath day, we wish to,
along with the worship of our Lord and Saviour, recognize
Mrs. Parker as a Child of the King.
"Mrs. Parker, 83 years of age, last May, was born in
Frameville, which was later changed to Hicks, Texas, in
Burleson County.
"When a very young girl Mrs. Parker read something in the
Bible that she didn't like. It was where Paul said that
wives should submit themselves unto their husbands and Titus
said that wives were to be obedient to their husbands. She
decided that she would handle that situation by just never
being married.
"She taught school, at the age of 14 years, for 4 months
as assistant to her brother-in-law. When she was 15 years
old she was hired to teach in the Hicks School. She taught
her own brothers.
"She took and passed the State Exam and received a
teacher's certificate and taught 4 years. She paid room and
board for herself and her sister while they attended San
Marcos Normal.
"But, during this time, along came a young preacher who
held a revival in the community where she was teaching.
Laughing, she says, 'Of all people, a preacher, and there I
was not being able to agree with the Bible.' He proposed but
told her that he didn't want her answer then. He wanted her
to think and pray and answer when he came back at Christmas.
She did. And what she said, "Lord, if that's what You want
me to do, I guess I can. She married Brother L.L.F. Parker
in 1911.
"Along with keeping the home fires burning, rearing 3
sons and a daughter--Bill, Martha, Fox, and Jake--she
received her B.A. and M.A. Degrees in San Marcos and did
refresher work at the University of Southern California. She
taught school 27 years, 12 of these in the Flatonia
Schools.
"Brother and Mrs. Parker came to Muldoon as pastor and
wife of this church in May, 1942. They served and led this
church 17 years, until his retirement.
"She and Brother Parker donated a lot and building for a
Spanish Mission in Flatonia. She went every Sunday afternoon
for more than 10 years and taught the Latin-Americans.
"In February, 1973, Mrs. Parker was able to realize a
dream of a lifetime. She visited the Holy Lands at age 80.
She walked where Jesus walked. After she returned home, on
Thursday, April 26, 1973, she took her projector and drove
to Flatonia and showed the films of the Holy Land to the
Rotary Club and made her speech. She also showed them in our
church.
"In May, 1973, she was named Lady Senior Citizen of
Fayette County.
"Mrs. Parker has a broad understanding and keeps in touch
with the affairs of the world. If she is ever tempted to
'petty gossip,' those of us close to her don't know it. She
loves and is loved. She says, 'I was a pastor's wife, and
I'm still a pastor's wife'."
"A TRIBUTE TO MY GRANDMOTHER"
by Elizabeth (Parker) Brown, Flatonia Argus, Oct. 7,
1982
Mrs. L.L.F. (Beatrice) Parker died on September 24, 1982.
She was 90 years old. Mrs. Parker was an outstanding
citizen, a patriotic American, a tender and compassionate
person. She was my Grandmother and I loved her.
My Grandmother taught in Flatonia School System for 12
years and if you don't remember her from school, you'll
remember her from many other activities she participated in
around the Muldoon and Flatonia area.
She was born in Hicks, Texas, in 1892. She taught school
at the age of 14 for 4 months as assistant to her
brother-in-law. At age 15 she was hired to teach in the
Hicks School. She even taught her own brothers.
She took and passed the State Exam and received a
teacher's certificate and taught 4 years. She paid room and
board for herself and her sister while they attended San
Marcos Normal.
In 1911, she met and married my Grandfather, Brother
L.L.F. Parker who was a Baptist minister. They had 3 sons
and a daughter--Bill, Fox, Jake and Martha.
She received her B.A. and M.A. Degrees in San Marcos and
did refresher work at the University of Southern California.
She taught school 27 years, 12 of these in Flatonia.
My Grandmother and Grandfather moved to Muldoon in May,
1942. There she served as pastor's wife for 17 years until
my grandfather retired from the ministry.
She and my Grandfather donated a lot and building for a
Spanish Mission in Flatonia. She taught in this Mission
every Sunday afternoon for 10 years.
In May, 1973, she was named Lady Senior Citizen of
Fayette County.
I came to live with my Grandmother in 1959 and stayed
with her until I graduated from school in Flatonia in 1961.
She taught me to love the Lord and to remember that it's not
what we think we should do for others that counts but that
it is what we actually do for others makes life worth
living. I saw her many times go out in the cold icy weather
to see about a sick friend or to carry food to funeral
gatherings. I saw her many times praying and in tears when
she couldn't help someone and wanted to so bad. She reached
out and touched lives everywhere she went. She was my
grandmother and I loved her.
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