Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-11-06
Isaac A. Parker.
The Brattleboro Phoenix says

The Brattleboro Phoenix says:
"There died in Galesburg, Ill, re-
Gently a native Of Vermont who had
done such valuable and long continued
and permanent work in the education
of young men and women as it is given
to few men to perform. This was
Isaac Augustus Parker, who was born
in South Woodstock in 1925, and was
descended on both sides from such
sterling Pilgrim and Revolutionary
ancestry as gave him the right, by
birth. to the strength of intellect, the
moral rectitude, and the earnest tness,
gentleness and simplicity which were
his lifelong characteristics. He grew
up as a farmers boy and was gradual
ed from Dartmouth college in The class
Of 1853. In the fall of that year he
went to Glover, in Orleans county, as
principal of the Orleans Liberal 1nsti
tute, and remained there until 1858,
when he was called to the professor
ship of ancient languages at Lombard
university in Galesburg, and where the
remainder of his life was spent. His
years at Glover were notably fruitful
ones, not only for the high intellectual
standard which he set for the school,
but even more for the quiet but strong
and irresistible force of his own per-
sOnality in forming the characters of
the large number of Young men and
women who there came under this tut
ton. The same influence of thorough
ness, probity and uprightness was the
predOminating factor in his contact
with the students during all the years
at LOmbard-a fact which was abun-
dantly recognized when, in 1893. at the
close of 40 years Of service in the chair
Of Greek language and literature, a
reception and banquet were given in
mis- honor by the faculty and alumni.
In June, 1908, his completion of 50
years of service for the college was
celebrated as a part of the commence
ment program. At this time. feeling
the weight of advancing years, he re-
signed his charge and had since lived
in quiet retirement in his home IN
Galesburg, devoting himself to those
intellectual pursuits which had been
the pleasure no less than the benefit Of
his wide knowledge of books for long
term Of years and until his death.
1t was rare pleasure to one of his
old time Glover students, who visited
him in his home in the early spring of
1911, to find him in comfortable health,
mentally as alert and as actively in
terested in affairs as ever, and to OBJ
serve, as he went about among the
people, the evident love and esteem
in which he was held by the Galesburg
community.
Dartmouth college gave Prof Park
er the degree Of Master Of Arts in 1856
and Buchel college that of Doctor of
Philosophy in 1892. He always re-
+1f, Il ~. j
and associations Of his early manhood,
though his visits to the East had not
been frequent. On the occasion Of one
Of these visits, in August 1895, his
former students at Glover held a re-
union, and the people Of the village
gave him a reception, which over
flowed with expressions Of good will
and appreciative remembrance. In
June, 1908, he went back to Dartmouth
to attend a reunion Of his class 55
years after graduation.
= While resident in Glover Mr.. Parker
married Miss Sarah A. Larabee. a
native of Weathersfield, she being then
the preceptress of the institute. A
daughter was born to them there who
died in 1891: A son, William Angus
tus, born in Galesburg, is now the
chief engineer of the St. Joseph (Mo.)
& Grand Island railway. Mrs. Parker
died in 1889. Professor Parker having
begun teaching when he was II, his
life work had covered a period of 68
years, and it was we'll said Of him, up
on his retirement, that the word teach
er applied to him as well as it did to
Agassiz, who wished to be remem-
bered as a teacher" A sane, serene,
useful and kindly life went out when
the final summons, due to the gradu al
decline Of old age, came on the 8th of
October.