The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1898-11-13
MRS mENA cox.rARKER.


A"iH Wlo " thN NQsuhulc or tmmorlNl
ny Death ushcrs MS an from this vcs
Thule. The nature OF tho vcstlbu'y
through which each Individual lt,ssc,
makes the death VI each Individual dis
uncuNely peculiar i.lvcs ar, no, ldcn'
tlcal. neither arr deaths,
We ore hero today. as wc are hccaus,
death was here and completed his work
hut We want to feel today that this death
Is no sad, dreadful chllling thing Il IL
indeed
THAT golden KEY
That opcs the palace " eternity"
Mrs Parker has passcd through an
extraordinary earthly vrsubulc. No lie
was ever exactly like hers, and IN most
things u was not an ordinary lfr, Hoy
ITO was ushercd into existence IN tho
eastern part of Vermont. about I'VE miles
from the banks of the Connecticut river
There, In we'll preserved house now
isi Ncars old Ircna Cox was vorn q years
\ months and II days before tho date oS
her death.
Let us pass along this long llfc and
study few % It's foot prints Tho mother
who hushcd her earliest infant cries
dreamed not this her daughter would dio
An honorcd and highly respected pioneer
In the Pacdc Northwcs, and bc buried
Within hearing distance of the rolling
surf of tho grrat Pacific HUT tho guard.
ian angel set ovcr the young Mo had his
face turned westward
As We think of the lndOmltahlr encn;y
that was 50 prominent In her rcmarka-
] htR lifa Wsa
comes from branch ~ noble stock
Shc received tho impetus " mighty gem
crailons before her. As We today stand
IN the shadows " our civil war. 80 tho
people % iS6 stood In the shadows. some.
what longer, OF tho revolutionary war
Her grandfather WIS ono ~ the party
that threw tho tea overheard Ia noston
iarhor And tho pioneer spirit which
rcappcarrd In her was IN this samo
grandfather as he blazcd his WAY into
the wilds 81 new country 20 plant a
home where tho foot ot tho white man
had but seldom trod.
Her girlhood lie was already marked
oy that ardent activity which never lot
her. She was no, contcntcd TO remain 10
home and drcarily spin the lax and
card the wool as was tho rcucrll custom
for glr,s In those days She became an
iilncrant tailorcss making her annual
tours with her assistants over circuit
of many miles. 10 was In this WAY that
she became acquainted with Hiram A.
Parker. whose family lived q miles rrom
her home That distance wns only a
ncighbor's distance in those days Tho
friendly intimacy ripcncd into love. and
twain hearts" were made ono when
Ircna Cox was . It'll death DO US
part" lasted thus over half century.
the third of last June having been her
Goth wedding anniversary.
She was not spared lllcs trials and
burdens. Many were the deep and dark
shadows east into her lie again and
again. From her early married lie in
Vermont were taken two Infants hy
deaths hands, Then came a disastrous
FIRE that swept away home and all lts
possessions with hotel equipments. IN
Washington. VI. This apparent mlstor-
tune turned their thoughts 10 ore
gon, where Mr.. Parker had already
brother, He was well and strong; she
was falling In health. II appeared wise
to him TO go alone and prepare a homo
for her. He started alone: but rs a true
and devoted wife she soon decided that
her place was beside her husband. sho
followed him 20 New York city: she
found him TO his utter surprise and as
tonlshment: and. with determination
OF one of old who declared whittier
thou goest I will 90 where thou dwell
est. ] viii dwell" she declared I will
80 % oregon. too And she ala come
No life Is without the hand Of Proyi-
dence. That hand was In the following
% her husband. During a delay at the
isthmus. caused hy the wreck Of the
vessel on which they intended 20 sal.
Mr. Parker contracted the dreadful
Panama fever He had 90 be- carried on
board the next passing steamer 4
period Of three months nursing such as
a loving and devoted wife alone can give.
assisted by the salubrious Influences of
an ocean voyage and the oregon climate.
brought Mr. Parker back 20 hcalth's hap.
plness The "Boelllng Hotel" Of pioneer
times, sheltered them FOR few days:
then the home NJ W ". Parker In the
lsFNlH anu NlhIht NdlltF btfAfflN thelr
abode Tor several years
Theirs was the common experience OF
nioneers. They came to this stra nge land
where all but brother were strangers.
In iS2 OF the women who were then
here 20 welcome a sister from the FAR
east there are but three living now.
Mrs. Pease Mrs. Trenchard and Mrs.
Van Dusen
In "a they returned to Astoria from
the Lewis and Clarke From that date
begins the life and influence OF Mrs.
Hiram y. Parker in Astoria that has
touched and blessed the hearts OF n
number so great as can be known only by
the All Seeing One.
Their saw mill stood where the oregon
Bakery now Is located. This. which is
now known all over the city as tho
Parker home. was forest IN almost
pristine state In 20. The giant forest was
removed and this home was erected in
81 With the saw dust from the mill
the swamp below the house WAS Alsi
and upon this we're laid the roadway
planks to the house in the woods. Thirty
seven years have passed since then. Into
this house came the Joy OF the last born
OF the family. But the darkest shadows
OF this life also crossed this threshold
again and again. In 20 Charles H.. the |
eldest son, died. aged 2G. leaving a wife |
and one child. Next n son-ln-law was,
by sad accident, taken In 49, A grand |
child Of nine months soon followed tho |
father. One year later Mary L. was |
taken from her homo on the adjoining lot, |
also leaving fanny to mourn with .Srs. .
Parker and her family. Now we mourn .
her departure. And those left OF her own |
are Eben T., A. Lincoln Clara T.. tho .
father, and twenty-one grand children |
We. today. take he liberty Of speaking
things that she cared not 10 speak Of
while with Us. We speak Of them that
others may desire to walk IN her footsteps
and pray that her mantle may fall upon
them. The work that appealed most
powerfully to her phlanthroplc heart was
that Of the Woman's Relief Corps. She
became identified with III" local depart
ment in June, "a. just one month after
CONTINUED on third paEeJ