Edna Parker

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BAD WOMAN

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{{Infobox person

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|Edna Parker

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|status=deceased-verified

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|image=EdnaParker.jpg

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|sex=Female

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|nationality=American

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|birthyr=1893

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|birthplace=Shelby County, Indiana, USA

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|deathyr=2008

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|deathplace=Indiana, USA

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|sort = Parker, Edna}}

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'''Edna Scott Parker'''<ref>[http://www.in.gov/newsroom.htm?detailContent=125_6131.htm&backEnabled=true Governor meets with country's two oldest, both Hoosiers]</ref> (April 20, [[1893]] – November 26, 2008) was an [[United States|American]] [[supercentenarian]] and, until her death, was recognized as the [[oldest people|oldest person in the world]] following the death of [[Yone Minagawa]] of Japan on August 13, 2007.<ref name="Minagawa">[http://www.japannewsreview.com/society/kyushu/kyushu/20070814page_id=1438 World's oldest person, Yone Minagawa, dies at 114] - [[Japan News Review]].</ref> She assumed the title at age 114 years, 115 days. Parker became [[Indiana]]'s oldest living person on April 7, 2005 (age 111 years, 352 days) (following the death of then almost-112-year-old Minnie Kearby, who was just six days older at the time) and [[list of oldest people by U.S. state|the state's all-time recordholder]] on January 19, 2007 (age 113 years, 274 days), surpassing [[Mary Parr]]. She became the oldest living American on February 14, 2007 (age 113 years, 300 days), following the death of then fellow 113-year-old [[Corinne Dixon Taylor]] of [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="GRG">[http://www.grg.org/Adams/E.HTM Validated Living Supercentenarians]</ref> At the time of her death, Parker was listed as one of the 15 [[list of the verified oldest people|longest lived people ever]].

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==Biography==

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Parker was born on a farm in Shelby County, Indiana, near Bengal in Hendricks township and raised eating a typical farm diet of meat and starch. She attended Franklin High School, then took classes at [[Franklin College]] to obtain a teaching certificate. Parker taught at a two-room schoolhouse in [[Smithland, Indiana|Smithland]] for two years, until she married her next door neighbor, Earl Parker, on April 12, 1913.<ref>Source Citation: Title: Shelby County, Indiana, Index To Marriage Record 1856 - 1920 Inclusive Vol, W. P. A. Original Record Located: County Clerk's O; Book: 21;Page: 243</ref> Earl died on February 23, 1939. They had two sons, Clifford and Earl Jr.<ref>1920 US Census; Place: Needham, Johnson, Indiana; Roll: T625_442; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 138; Image: 133.</ref>, both of whom she outlived.<ref name="Indy">{{cite news|title=Indiana Woman Now World's Oldest Person|date=2007-08-14|url=http://www.theindychannel.com/family/13886143/detail.html}}</ref> As of April 2008, she had five grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren and thirteen great-great-grandchildren. Her two sisters also are deceased; Georgia lived to be 99, while her sister Opal was 88 when she died.

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===Later years===

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Parker lived alone on a farm on Blueridge Road after her husband had died when she was 45. She remained there until age 100, when, still in very strong health, she moved in with one of her sons. One winter night, she was left alone while her son and his wife went to a basketball game. When they returned, she was in the back yard, unconscious, in the snow, and visible in the poor light only because she was wearing her favorite red sweater. Her family feared her death, but medics arrived and she made a full recovery except for only mild injuries. Afterwards it was decided that she needed to move to a nursing home.<ref name ="Shelbynews">[http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=93&ArticleID=55039&TM=54564.66 Denied:1up! Software]</ref>

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===Final years===

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Until her death, Parker lived at Heritage House Convalescent Center, a retirement community in [[Shelbyville, Indiana]]. In April 2007, at the age of 114, she met with the second-oldest Indiana inhabitant and then fifth-oldest living person in the world, [[Bertha Fry]]. Fry, who lived in [[Muncie, Indiana|Muncie]], was 113 at the time, which set the highest combined age for a meeting of two supercentenarians, at 227 years and 142 days. Parker lived in the same home as [[Sandy Allen]], the tallest living woman verified by ''[[Guinness World Records]]'', until Allen's death on August 13, 2008.<ref>[http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=47473&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=&S=1 Governor pays weekend visit to honor Edna's 114th birthday]</ref> Parker enjoyed reading and reciting poetry, especially the works of [[James Whitcomb Riley]], and according to family liked to quote his poetry to visitors.<ref name ="Shelbynews"/> She read the newspaper every day, enjoyed cards from well-wishers, and often sent autographs to people asking for them. In 2007, she received a letter from President [[George W. Bush]] on her 114th birthday, who thanked her for "sharing her wisdom and experiences" with younger generations.<ref name ="Shelbynews"/> Also at that time, she was given the key to the city of Shelbyville from the Mayor, and was visited by the state Governor and Senator.

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The Heritage House Convalescent Center planned two separate birthday parties to celebrate her 115th birthday. At each one they released one hundred fifteen multicolored balloons, because she enjoyed watching balloons float into the sky. The public celebration was on April 18, 2008, while the private family one was on April 20, 2008, her actual birthday. She was one of only twenty-one [[List of the verified oldest people|people validated]] to have reached 115 years of age.

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On May 20, 2008, one of four peregrine falcon chicks nesting atop of a downtown Indianapolis high rise was named after Edna. A live nest cam of this bird and family is available on the Indy Star Falcon Blog.<ref name="falconcam">{{cite news|title=Peregrine Falcon Named in Honor of Edna Parker|date=2007-08-14|url=http://blogs.indystar.com/falconblog/}}</ref> A [[video clip]] of the naming announcement during banding day is available on [[YouTube]].<ref name="bandingday">{{cite news|title=Banding Day on YouTube|date=2007-08-14|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHKt83SzCHA}}</ref>

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Parker died at a nursing home in Indiana, on November 26, 2008, at age 115 years, 220 days.<ref>[http://news.aol.com/article/worlds-oldest-person-dies-at-115/262048]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7753764.stm]</ref>

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She was buried in Shelbyville's Miller Cemetery. {{Fact|date= November 2008}}.

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==References==

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[[Category:Verified supercentenarians]]

Changes: Edna Parker

Revision as of 15:10, 7 September 2015

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
+BAD WOMAN
-{{Infobox person
-|Edna Parker
-|status=deceased-verified
-|image=EdnaParker.jpg
-|sex=Female
-|nationality=American
-|birthyr=1893
-|birthplace=Shelby County, Indiana, USA
-|deathyr=2008
-|deathplace=Indiana, USA
-|sort = Parker, Edna}}
-'''Edna Scott Parker'''<ref>[http://www.in.gov/newsroom.htm?detailContent=125_6131.htm&backEnabled=true Governor meets with country's two oldest, both Hoosiers]</ref> (April 20, [[1893]] &ndash; November 26, 2008) was an [[United States|American]] [[supercentenarian]] and, until her death, was recognized as the [[oldest people|oldest person in the world]] following the death of [[Yone Minagawa]] of Japan on August 13, 2007.<ref name="Minagawa">[http://www.japannewsreview.com/society/kyushu/kyushu/20070814page_id=1438 World's oldest person, Yone Minagawa, dies at 114] - [[Japan News Review]].</ref> She assumed the title at age 114 years, 115 days. Parker became [[Indiana]]'s oldest living person on April 7, 2005 (age 111 years, 352 days) (following the death of then almost-112-year-old Minnie Kearby, who was just six days older at the time) and [[list of oldest people by U.S. state|the state's all-time recordholder]] on January 19, 2007 (age 113 years, 274 days), surpassing [[Mary Parr]]. She became the oldest living American on February 14, 2007 (age 113 years, 300 days), following the death of then fellow 113-year-old [[Corinne Dixon Taylor]] of [[Washington, D.C.]]<ref name="GRG">[http://www.grg.org/Adams/E.HTM Validated Living Supercentenarians]</ref> At the time of her death, Parker was listed as one of the 15 [[list of the verified oldest people|longest lived people ever]].
-==Biography==
-Parker was born on a farm in Shelby County, Indiana, near Bengal in Hendricks township and raised eating a typical farm diet of meat and starch. She attended Franklin High School, then took classes at [[Franklin College]] to obtain a teaching certificate. Parker taught at a two-room schoolhouse in [[Smithland, Indiana|Smithland]] for two years, until she married her next door neighbor, Earl Parker, on April 12, 1913.<ref>Source Citation: Title: Shelby County, Indiana, Index To Marriage Record 1856 - 1920 Inclusive Vol, W. P. A. Original Record Located: County Clerk's O; Book: 21;Page: 243</ref> Earl died on February 23, 1939. They had two sons, Clifford and Earl Jr.<ref>1920 US Census; Place: Needham, Johnson, Indiana; Roll: T625_442; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 138; Image: 133.</ref>, both of whom she outlived.<ref name="Indy">{{cite news|title=Indiana Woman Now World's Oldest Person|date=2007-08-14|url=http://www.theindychannel.com/family/13886143/detail.html}}</ref> As of April 2008, she had five grandchildren, fourteen great-grandchildren and thirteen great-great-grandchildren. Her two sisters also are deceased; Georgia lived to be 99, while her sister Opal was 88 when she died.
-===Later years===
-Parker lived alone on a farm on Blueridge Road after her husband had died when she was 45. She remained there until age 100, when, still in very strong health, she moved in with one of her sons. One winter night, she was left alone while her son and his wife went to a basketball game. When they returned, she was in the back yard, unconscious, in the snow, and visible in the poor light only because she was wearing her favorite red sweater. Her family feared her death, but medics arrived and she made a full recovery except for only mild injuries. Afterwards it was decided that she needed to move to a nursing home.<ref name ="Shelbynews">[http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=93&ArticleID=55039&TM=54564.66 Denied:1up! Software]</ref>
-===Final years===
-Until her death, Parker lived at Heritage House Convalescent Center, a retirement community in [[Shelbyville, Indiana]]. In April 2007, at the age of 114, she met with the second-oldest Indiana inhabitant and then fifth-oldest living person in the world, [[Bertha Fry]]. Fry, who lived in [[Muncie, Indiana|Muncie]], was 113 at the time, which set the highest combined age for a meeting of two supercentenarians, at 227 years and 142 days. Parker lived in the same home as [[Sandy Allen]], the tallest living woman verified by ''[[Guinness World Records]]'', until Allen's death on August 13, 2008.<ref>[http://www.shelbynews.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=47473&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=&S=1 Governor pays weekend visit to honor Edna's 114th birthday]</ref> Parker enjoyed reading and reciting poetry, especially the works of [[James Whitcomb Riley]], and according to family liked to quote his poetry to visitors.<ref name ="Shelbynews"/> She read the newspaper every day, enjoyed cards from well-wishers, and often sent autographs to people asking for them. In 2007, she received a letter from President [[George W. Bush]] on her 114th birthday, who thanked her for "sharing her wisdom and experiences" with younger generations.<ref name ="Shelbynews"/> Also at that time, she was given the key to the city of Shelbyville from the Mayor, and was visited by the state Governor and Senator.
-The Heritage House Convalescent Center planned two separate birthday parties to celebrate her 115th birthday. At each one they released one hundred fifteen multicolored balloons, because she enjoyed watching balloons float into the sky. The public celebration was on April 18, 2008, while the private family one was on April 20, 2008, her actual birthday. She was one of only twenty-one [[List of the verified oldest people|people validated]] to have reached 115 years of age.
-On May 20, 2008, one of four peregrine falcon chicks nesting atop of a downtown Indianapolis high rise was named after Edna. A live nest cam of this bird and family is available on the Indy Star Falcon Blog.<ref name="falconcam">{{cite news|title=Peregrine Falcon Named in Honor of Edna Parker|date=2007-08-14|url=http://blogs.indystar.com/falconblog/}}</ref> A [[video clip]] of the naming announcement during banding day is available on [[YouTube]].<ref name="bandingday">{{cite news|title=Banding Day on YouTube|date=2007-08-14|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHKt83SzCHA}}</ref>
-Parker died at a nursing home in Indiana, on November 26, 2008, at age 115 years, 220 days.<ref>[http://news.aol.com/article/worlds-oldest-person-dies-at-115/262048]</ref><ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7753764.stm]</ref>
-She was buried in Shelbyville's Miller Cemetery. {{Fact|date= November 2008}}.
-==References==
-{{reflist}}
 [[Category:Verified supercentenarians]]