One Township's Yesterdays Chapter XXIX  

PARKER

Another name intimately associated with the ancient community of Maxinkuckee is that of PARKER. ELI PARKER was the pioneer of the family in this township.

He settled here in 1860 or thereabouts, opened a general store at Maxinkuckee, and largely invested his profits in land, so that at his death at the age of sixty-five, he was a substantial and honored citizen, having accumulated quite a store of wealth.

He took in JOHN WISE as a partner in the store business, and for many years the firm of Parker & Wise was known far and wide. They had the unique distinction of having two stores operating at one and the same time on the east side of the lake. One of them was a branch of the main store on the hill, however, and was operated at the Landing as a resort store during the summer season only.

ELI PARKER married CATHERINE SPANGLER. They had three sons and three daughters, all living now but one. CATHERINE SPANGLER was born January 21, 1840, near Fremont, Ohio, and was married to ELI PARKER, November 11, 1860, She was a daughter of Samuel and Rachel SPANGLER.

It was on August 31, 1896, that ELI PARKER passed to his eternal rest. He was a member of the Odd Fellows lodge. On the date of his passing he gave a talk at the lodge for the good of the order. He went home, and died within about fifteen minutes. His widow survived him ten years, to the month. Her death occurred on August 7, 1906, at Culver. She was sixty-six. CATHERINE PARKER was laid to rest in Poplar Grove Cemetery, where her husband was buried.

The name of PARKER is dying out in this line of descent, for there are no PARKER boys living of the younger generation. Concerning the six children of ELI and CATHERINE PARKER we find the following of record:

The boys were:
Dunham C., familiarly known as "Dunn"

Dunham married MARY ELIZABETH BEEBER and lives at Argos. There are no children.
Francis M., or Frank

Frank married IDA M. RECTOR. Both are living. Their home is on one of the old PARKER farms on the east side of Lake Maxinkuckee. There are no children.
Edward E., the doctor.

Dr. E. F. PARKER, now a resident of South Bend, was born at Maxinkuckee, December 13, 1870, the fifth child and the third son in the family. He was reared in Marshall County, and received his higher education at Butler University and at Indiana Medical College, being graduated from there in 1895. He first practiced medicine at Flora, Indiana, remained two years there, then came to Culver. He had an office over the old bank. The doctor married DORA MOSS, daughter of WILLIAM and JOSEPHINE MOSS. There were three daughters:

Kathryn
Josephine (Rosemary)
and Martha

The three daughters of ELI and CATHERINE PARKER were:
Jennie married DAN MARKS

a present-day resident of Culver. There were two sons who died in childhood at Maxinkuckee. The mother died at Culver.
Herbert
Burford

Nellie

BRADFORD ("BRAD") KROUSE. Everett died in the Service, while in a hospital during the World War. The children consisted of three boys:
Everett
Palmer
Eugene

Bertha married CHARLES HAYES. There are no children.

The PARKER lands, as mapped in the 'seventies, were close to Maxinkuckee village. Just north of it, E. PARKER had plots of 15.75 and 40 acres. and north of this land he had 120 acres. Just southeast of the village 73.50 acres were in his name.