PARKEN Family History
The Heritage Server would like to thank Stephen Chinn
for providing this information.
1880 Census -- Otter Township, Cowley County, Kansas (June 16)
NAME:SEX:AGE: OCCUPATION:BIRTHPLACE:
Nicholas Warwick PARKENM31 FarmerEngland
Mary Ann PARKEN (wife)F28 Keeping HouseEngland
Lulu PARKEN (daughter)F5Kansas
Eliza TruscottF21 boarderConn (sis-in-law)(Mary's sister)
1900 Census -- Mill Creek Township, Washington County, Kansas (June 6)
Name:Age:Sex:Birth Date & Place:Occupation:
Nicholas Warwick PARKEN51MNov. 1848EnglandFarmer
Mary Ann PARKEN50FDec. 1849England
Lottie Grace PARKEN18FNov. 1881Kansasschool
William Henry PARKEN15MDec. 1884Kansasschool
Fred PARKEN 12MJan. 1888Kansasschool
PARKEN -- the original spelling of the surname was PARKYN.
"Celliwic" (Kelly wick) is the Gallic word for Callington.
The Prince of Wales (copper) Mine is an old mine at Harrowbarrow.
16-Mar-1998 Family Group Sheet
Husband: Joseph PARKEN age: 84
Born: 17 FEB 1812 in: Plymouth,DEV,ENG
Died: 22 DEC 1896 in: Plymouth,DEV,ENG
Father:
Mother:
Joseph PARKEN was supposedly crippled.
Joseph PARKEN married Charlotte (b 7/10/1819)(family name?).
Joseph and Charlotte PARKEN of Harrowbarrow, near Plymouth and
Callington, Cornwall, England raised 13 out of 15 children to
adulthood. They also raised five or six foster children.
Wife: Charlotte _____ age: 78
Married: in: Plymouth,DEV,ENG
Born: 10 JUL 1819 in: Plymouth,DEV,ENG
Died: 29 JUL 1897 in: Plymouth,DEV,ENG
Father:
Mother:
F Child 1 Elizabeth PARKEN age: 13
Born: 8-Jan-1838 in:
Died: 17-Aug-1851 in:
M Child 2 John PARKEN age: 83
Born: 7-Mar-1840 in:
Died: 19-Mar-1923 in:
F Child 3 Charlotte PARKEN age: 28
Born: 18-Aug-1842 in:
Died: 9-May-1871 in:
F Child 4 Anne PARKEN
Born: 27-Jan-1844 in:
Died: Mar 1925 in:
M Child 5 Joseph PARKEN age: 87
Born: 22-Dec-1845 in:
Died: 15-Jan-1933 in:
M Child 6 Nicholas Warwick PARKEN age: 82
Born: 18 NOV 1847 in: Harrowbarrow,CON,ENG
Died: 9 OCT 1930 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS
Buried: 11 OCT 1930 in: Morrowville Cemetery, WashingtonCo, KS
Ref: Occupation: carpenter & farmer
Spouse: Mary Ann TRUSCOTT
Married: 6 JUN 1872 in: Independence, MontgomeryCo, Kansas
M Child 7 Samuel PARKEN age: 71
Born: 21-Nov-1849 in:
Died: 10-Jun-1921 in:
M Child 8 William PARKEN age: 31
Born: 29-Jun-1851 in:
Died: 9-Jan-1883 in:
F Child 9 Elizabeth PARKEN age: 55
Born: 10-Feb-1853 in:
Died: 15-Apr-1908 in:
M Child 10 Richard PARKEN age: 100
Born: 18-Dec-1854 in:
Died: 23-Jan-1955 in:
M Child 11 George PARKEN age: 71
Born: 16-Feb-1856 in:
Died: 12-Aug-1927 in:
F Child 12 Emma PARKEN age: 82
Born: 18-Jan-1858 in:
Died: 16-Mar-1940 in:
M Child 13 Jonathan PARKEN
Born: 10-Apr-1860 in:
Died: 1944 in: Harrowbarrow, ENG
M Child 14 David PARKEN age: 79
Born: 18-Mar-1862 in:
Died: 25-Apr-1941 in:
M Child 15 Benjamin PARKEN age: 75
Born: 29-Jan-1865 in:
Died: 3-Aug-1940 in:
Family Group Sheet
Husband: Nicholas Warwick PARKEN age: 82
Born: 18 NOV 1847 in: Harrowbarrow,CON,ENG
Died: 9 OCT 1930 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS
Buried: 11 OCT 1930 in: Morrowville Cemetery, WashingtonCo, KS
Ref: Occupation: carpenter & farmer
Father: Joseph PARKEN
Mother: Charlotte _____
Nicholas Warwick PARKEN
November 18, 1847 Nicholas Parken was born in Harrowbarrow,
Cornwall, England.
When a mere boy he was converted and united with the Church of
England.
Nicholas PARKEN grew up as a carpenters apprentice.
November 18, 1868 (age 21) he was given a journeyman certificate,
a set of tools, a suit of clothes and 10 pounds.
He left home and worked in Liverpool.
April 1869 (age 23) sailed from Liverpool on a steamship and came
to America.
For a time worked as a carpenter.
July 1871 Nicholas Warwick PARKEN came to Otter Township, Cowley
County, Kansas.
June 6, 1872 Nicholas Warwick PARKEN married Mary Ann TRUSCOTT at
Independence, Montgomery County, Kansas.
June 1872 Nicholas Warwick and Mary Ann (Truscott) PARKEN settled
on a farm in Otter Township, Cowley County, Kansas.
Nov 2, 1875 their first child, Lulu P. PARKEN, was born in Cowley
County, KS.
September 1884 They sold their homestead in southern Kansas and
moved to a farm at Mill Creek Township (Morrowville), Washington
County, Kansas.
Nicholas and Mary Ann Parken were among the organizers of the
Methodist-Episcopal Church at Morrowville, Kansas.
January 1902 Mary Ann (Truscott) PARKEN purchased SW1/4 of NW1/4
Section 6-2-3.
December 1908 she sold the SW1/4 of NW1/4 Section 6-2-3 to Fred
PARKEN.
She purchased the W1/2 of SW1/4 Section 6-2-3.
She sold the SW1/4 of SW1/4 Section 6-2-3 to William Henry
Parken.
She sold the NW1/4 of SW1/4 Section 6-2-3 to Fred PARKEN.
1911 William Henry PARKEN sold the SW1/4 of SW1/4.
October 9, 1930 Nicholas Warwick PARKEN aged 82 years, 10 months,
and 21 days died Thursday at Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS.
October 11, 1930 his funeral was conducted by Rev. C. A. Budd,
pastor of the Morrowville M.E. Church, Saturday afternoon at 2:30
p.m. at the M.E. Church. Interment was in the Morrowville
Cemetery, Washington County, Kansas.
August 23, 1935 Mary Ann (Truscott) PARKEN aged 85 years, 7
months and 25 days died Friday at Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS.
August 25, 1935 her funeral was conducted by Rev. Green Sunday
afternoon at 2:30 p.m. at the Methodist Church in Morrowville,
Kansas.
Mary Ann (Truscott) was buried in the Morrowville Cemetery,
Washington County, Kansas.
Wife: Mary Ann TRUSCOTT age: 85
Married: 6 JUN 1872 in: Independence, MontgomeryCo, Kansas
Born: 29 DEC 1849 in: Callington,CON,ENG
Died: 23 AUG 1935 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS
Buried: 25 AUG 1935 in: Morrowville Cemetery, WashingtonCo, KS
Ref: Occupation: Seamstress (tailor)
Father: Samuel TRUSCOTT
Mother: Louisa HOOPER
Mary Ann Truscott was born on December 29, 1849 at Callington,
Cornwall, England, and was of Scotch Irish descent.
She came to America (New Hampshire) on a sailing ship with her
parents in 1853 at age four.
She grew to womanhood in New Hampshire.
Her education was obtained in Connecticut, and later she became a
seamstress (tailor).
Mary Ann Truscott married Nicholas Warwick Parken PARKEN on June 6,
1872 at Independence, Montgomery County, Kansas.
F Child 1 Lulu P. PARKEN age: 78
Born: 2-Nov-1875 in: CowleyCo, KS
Died: 2-Mar-1954 in: Parkville, MO
Spouse: Grierson WERTMAN
Married: 13-Dec-1896 in: WashingtonCo, KS
F Child 2 Lottie Grace PARKEN age: 93
Born: 29-Nov-1881 in: Cedarvale, ChautauquaCo, KS
Died: 9-Mar-1975 in: Washington,WashingtonCo,KS
Buried: 13-Mar-1975 in: Morrowville Cemetery, WashingtonCo, KS
Ref: Occupation: teacher/farmer
Spouse: Lloyd Anthony STOKER
Married: 9-Jun-1907 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS
M Child 3 William Henry PARKEN age: 50
Born: 2 DEC 1884 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS
Died: 29 NOV 1935 in: Dwight, Morris County, KS
Buried: in: Dwight Cemetery, Morris County, KS
Ref: Occupation: teach/farm/mail carrier
Spouse: Alta Fay FULLER
Married: 23 DEC 1908 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS 1
M Child 4 Fred E. PARKEN age: 88
Born: 7-Jan-1888 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS
Died: 4-Feb-1976 in: WashingtonCo, KS
Buried: 7-Feb-1976 in: Morrowville Cemetery, WashingtonCo, KS
Ref: Occupation: farmer
Spouse: Lena E. GROVER
Married: 27-Mar-1917 in: Morrowville, KS or Wymore, NE
1 Family Record of Ida Squier Fuller in the family Bible.
Family Group Sheet
Husband: William Henry PARKEN age: 50
Born: 2 DEC 1884 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS
Died: 29 NOV 1935 in: Dwight, Morris County, KS
Buried: in: Dwight Cemetery, Morris County, KS
Ref: Occupation: teach/farm/mail carrier
Father: Nicholas Warwick PARKEN
Mother: Mary Ann TRUSCOTT
William Henry PARKEN was born on December 2, 1884 near Morrowville, Washington
County, Kansas.
He was educated in the public school, Friends Academy Kansas State Agriculture
College at Manhattan, Kansas.
William Henry PARKEN got the paper weight in 1903 at the Worlds Fair at St. Louis
MO.
He was for several years a successful teacher in the public schools of Washington
County, Kansas.
William PARKEN taught at Grandview #144 1905-1906 and at Coleman Center 1907.
William Henry PARKEN & Alta Fay FULLER Wedding:
Alta Fay FULLER married William Henry PARKEN on the evening of December
23, 1908 at her parent's home (four miles northeast of Morrowville, Washington County,
Kansas). Rev. Boysr of the M.E. church officiating.
Promptly at eight o'clock the wedding couple entered the parlor to the beautiful
strains of Lohengrin's Bridal March, played by Miss Genevieve FULLER, sister of the
bride.
The wedding pair took their places under a bell suspended from an arch of lace
and vining myrtle with holly decorations. Immediately after congratulations the guests
entered the dining room, where a delicious repast awaited them. Only the immediate
relatives and a few friends were present.
The bride was beautifully attired in white silk, made drapery effect with net yoke
and sleeves and trimmed in overlace of rose design. The groom wore the conventional
black.
Mr. and Mrs. PARKEN will be at home to their many friends in their new home
northeast of Morrowville, Washington County, Kansas.
They operated a farm and taught school near Morrowville in the Washington,
Washington County, Kansas area.
They sold out their farming operation and came to Dwight, Morris County,
Kansas November 28, 1911 to operate a hardware and implement business. The city of
Dwight, Kansas had only been organized for 23 years.
J. Nordeen was a cattle buyer who apparently preferred that occupation to store
keeping. Early in 1912, W.H. PARKEN was advertising harness dipping as part of his
hardware business. He also sold oil and gasoline. In January of 1914, a fire in the
basement of PARKEN's hardware resulted in much of the stock being ruined. Unruined
merchandise was temporarily moved to a different location while repairs were made but
by the end of February, PARKEN was back in the stone building.
Compliments of W. H. PARKEN HARDWARE AND IMPLEMENTS Dwight,
Kansas (1914).
A good crop year was 1914, and during the summer it was reported that he sold
three J.I. Case threshing outfits and a carload of John Deer binders. Hiram LEE, a
neighbor, helped William Henry PARKEN in the hardware store. Hiram Lee was putting
up steel granaries for PARKEN; two of these went to the "Big Four Johnson" west of
town. [THE SIGNAL, Aug. 20, 1914 - PARKEN sold a steel silo to Johnson Bros.]
Later in 1914, John Nordeen remodeled the upstairs for office rooms. Dr. Mikula
occupied one and Nordeen another for his livestock buying business. The following
spring PARKEN announced he'd sold 66 Globe ranges since he started handling them.
While preparing to leave the Nordeen building or in a temporary location for a few
months, W.H. PARKEN auctioned his implements and sold his hardware to Roy Smith
of Omaha. From 1915 to 1920, R.C. Smith Hardware advertised.
Wlliam Henry PARKEN also worked in a grocery store in Dwight, Kansas.
They lived in a five-room house owned by their next-door
neighbor, Mr. Quinn. The old Quinn place was next to the railroad track on a side road
a mile east of Dwight, Kansas. Dwight PARKEN could see it from his bedroom window.
It was a tumbled down hulk that the kids called the ghost house and visited only a few
times.
They later operated a small farm near the southeast corner of Dwight, Kansas
where their four children were raised. The couple lived most of their married life there.
William H. PARKEN ("Bill" or "Billy") was probably best known as a rural mail
carrier serving on Route No. 1 1917 to 1935, one who often made his appointed rounds
by horse power over bottomless roads.
Summer of 1926
We fixed the house all over during the summer of 1926, and installed electric
lights. This is the way it was and now (diagrams drawn in the diary). The cellar way
which opens from the kitchen is under the new stairs. The old cellar way is under the
porch, and is used for a coal room. The bath is a "to be." It is now a store room.
June 16, 1927
[Mamma had the flu in January and went down with an awful siege of pneumonia
on March 17, 1927. She had her hair bobbed when she learned that she was going to
be sick. She had been waiting for a chance to get it bobbed anyway. It is still short and
looks very nice.
We quit selling milk when we learned she had the pneumonia.
The next day after mamma went to bed, I took down with the flu and gathering in
my ears. But, they couldn't make me go to bed. I was out of school seven days. It was
sure a bad time with mamma sick, bad weather, and me and Dwight sick part of the
time. We were surely glad when it was over and mother was well again. Leona
PARKEN]
June 18, 1927
Alta (PARKEN) FULLER was elected president of the Research club yesterday.
She was the vice-president before.
Alta (FULLER) PARKEN served as his substitute, and in his absence would carry
the mail with horse and wagon herself.
June 13, 1928
[At present I have plenty to do here at home. My mother is now serving as
substitute mail carrier while my Daddy takes his vacation. Meanwhile I am being
"substitute" mother in the mornings here at home. I am not so lazy as I was at my last
writing in this diary. In fact I am beginning to like housework, though I wouldn't admit it
to anyone now. It is morning now, and mother is away at her work so it is up to me to
get down and dig. Leona PARKEN]
He was a member of the Masonic and A.O.U.W. lodges.
William Henry PARKEN died on November 29, 1935 at Dwight, Morris County,
Kansas after an illness lasting about five months (generally known as cancer of the
bowels). William Henry PARKEN was buried at Dwight Cemetery
After her husband's early death in 1935, she and the children continued on the
farm. Alta was active in church and civic organizations and served on the Dwight,
Kansas Grade School Board.
From 1943 until she moved to Massachusetts, Mrs. PARKEN was a homemaker
at Alta Vista (summers in Denver).
Alta (FULLER) PARKEN moved to 1011 Tennesee Street, Lawrence, Douglas
County, Kansas (ca. 1945) and lived with her parents, George Edward and Ida May
(Squier) FULLER, and her widowed sister, Nellie (FULLER) Wells. She operated a
rooming house near the University of Lawrence
Later she worked as a seamstress in the alterations department of Kline's
Department Store in Kansas City, Missouri.
She also lived at Beverly & Danvers, Massachusetts. Alta Fay (FULLER)
PARKEN moved to the Topsfield, Massachusetts area in ca. 1956.
Alta Fay (FULLER) PARKEN died on Saturday, July 23, 1977 at the home of her
daughter, Mrs. Lois Noll, at Topsfield, Massachusetts.
The funeral service was on Tuesday, July 26, 1977 at Topsfield, Massachusetts. She
was buried on Tuesday, July 26, 1977 at Topsfield, Massachusetts.
Wife: Alta Fay FULLER age: 89
Married: 23 DEC 1908 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS 1
Born: 22 SEP 1887 in: Morrowville, WashingtonCo, KS 1
Died: 23 JUL 1977 in: Topsfield,EssexCo,MA
Buried: 26 JUL 1977 in: Topsfield,EssexCo,MA
Ref: Occupation: teacher/seamstress
Father: George Edward FULLER
Mother: Ida May SQUIER
F Child 1 Leona Pauline PARKEN age: 29
Born: 14 JAN 1912 in: Dwight, Morris County, KS 1
Died: 26 APR 1941 in: Dwight, Morris County, KS
Buried: 28 APR 1941 in: Dwight Cemetery, Morris County, KS
Ref: Occupation: teacher
Spouse: Lawrence "Larry" Shears CHINN
Married: 21 DEC 1935 in: Dwight, Morris County, KS
M Child 2 Dwight William PARKEN age: 80
Born: 4-Apr-1917 in: Dwight, Morris County, KS 1
Died: in:
Ref: Occupation: engineer
Spouse: Estelle BURGESS
Married: in:
F Child 3 Elaine PARKEN age: 76
Born: 28-Jun-1921 in: Dwight, Morris County, KS 1
Died: in:
Ref: Occupation: teacher
Spouse: Don HARPER
Married: in:
F Child 4 Lois Arlene PARKEN age: 71
Born: 11-Jan-1927 in: Dwight, Morris County, KS 1
Died: in:
Spouse: Lewis NOLL
Married: in:
1 Family Record of Ida Squier Fuller in the family Bible.
Return to the
Cousin's Corner
or return to the
Kansas Heritage Server.