MEXIA – With the Monday, family from along side county additionally the nation attained to possess an excellent reunion within Fort Parker State Park only southern area of Mexia. Certain exchanged hugs which have common face, while others delivered themselves for the first time.
But this was zero ordinary family members reunion. Their ties renowned Friday had been forged because of a beneficial tragic event that lots of Texans read about ever classification otherwise discover into the dozens of retellings in guides.
With the morning regarding Get 19, 1836, a ring regarding Comanche and Kiowa Indians raided Fort Parker, savagely raping and destroying members of the fresh new pioneer Parker family.
Five people were drawn captive, and additionally nine-year-old Cynthia Ann Parker, which spent much of her lifetime one of many Comanche, following words and you may lifestyle of your group, and you may marrying a frontrunner, Peta Nocona.
9 ages later on, Cynthia Ann offered beginning to Quanah Parker, who would end up being the tribe’s history chief, a pal away from Theodore Roosevelt, and you can a rest keeper ranging from some rings out-of Indians and whites.
When Quanah was just twelve, a family off Texas Rangers killed his dad and you will grabbed his mommy, about to reintroduce the girl to people. Cynthia Ann spent all rest of the woman lives seeking to go back to your Comanche before the lady dying, while the legend happens, of a reduced heart.
Every more than 100 descendants within reunion shade the origins returning to the new Senior John Parker, a major Battle soldier off Illinois, which based the fort in 1835 and you can is actually slain throughout the slaughter.
Trevor Wardlaw, who lives in Waco and you will brought his spouse and you can three babies together, was a financial agent by-day and a faraway relative away from Quanah Parker from the blood. He could be the nice-great-great-grandson of Senior Daniel Parker, the earliest man out of John Parker’s four college students. Older Daniel Parker, a personal-instructed preacher, oriented the first Protestant church for the Texas and you may try crucial within the doing new Tx Ranger systems.
“Perhaps selfishly i realize family history to find out about our very own own personal record,” Wardlaw said. “Someone respects the brand new Texas Rangers, but so couple know in which they came from – that is my type of lineage.”
And they continue to have a good line of relatives info relationships back to 1833
« Simple fact is that facts itself that holds individuals with her, » said Jack Selden, mcdougal of Get back: The brand new Parker Tale. His later girlfriend is actually a Parker. « The brand new compelling story away from Cynthia Ann and her come back – she is the heart, whatever the you do. » Selden, who has also written an enjoy about the Parkers, provides went to this new reunions for the last 2 decades.
The fresh strong-resting Tx satisfaction is clear among “Parker cousins,” while they name on their own. It is not uncommon to listen somebody allege they are associated with cousin Quanah, Auntie Cynthia Ann, or Papa John Parker.
Scott Nicholson has been probably this new reunions dating back to they can consider. The brand new Senior John Parker are their 5th great-dad into their mom’s front, in which he is simply descended from him double (regarding the 1800s it was not unusual for 2nd cousins in order to marry).
“All this is actually taught to me of the my personal parent, who was tily – and Tx – history continues on today. “My personal twelve-year-dated son will highlight the whole tale,” Nicholson said. “When he was six otherwise 7, he desired to read about us records to own bed time tales.”
Since fort fell 176 years ago, a large number regarding Parkers has lived-in the Palestine-Elkhart city. “I did not move about sufficient to dump them,” Nicholson said.
People yellowed black colored-and-white photo and you will dated matrimony suggestions are steeped relics. But even though some are content with just the fresh new tales you to definitely their grandparents informed him or her, someone else, particularly Wardlaw and you will Nicholson, has adopted the brand new development for the family history – having their DNA examined to ensure the family relations.
As it is traditions, Saturday’s agenda first started toward “company conference.” Since the cicadas whirred loudly regarding the trees over, the descendants seated into the folding seats external. They told you a great prayer, recognized Parkers that passed on, determined that is the latest youngest, the fresh earliest and you will which Parker moved this new farthest to obtain here.
Champions discovered “Parker Loved ones” glasses. This current year the brand new mugs went to 88-year-old Jack Meredith, 9-month-old Emory Parker Cochran and you may Barry Parker, whom with his girlfriend, Becky, drove when you look at the out-of Charleston, Unwell.
“We simply wanna get together and you will check out,” said 83-year-old Darwin Gilmore, vice chairman on the Parker Household members reunion panel and past year’s champion as earliest attendee. “We’re all shopping for friends.”
Of a lot years attended and you can went
The fresh Comanche section of the members of the family keeps various other annual reunion, usually for the Cache, Okla., close to the seat of your tribal authorities. A silver bowl, produced by Nicholson’s maternal grandfather, are typically traded involving the white and you will Comanche sides of one’s family members from year to year. The new gesture is local dating sites intended to imply that if you are each party away from the household provides her traditions, all of them kin.
Adopting the a giant potluck dinner try a market, in which individuals can be bid for the items like a permit dish you to definitely reads “QUANAH1.” New auction helps boost money so that the classification is continue so you can rent the official park.
Very early Sunday day, individuals who spent the evening outdoor camping regarding park’s “barracks” – five old-fashioned (but sky-conditioned) compartments – clean up and you may state their goodbyes before heading out until 2nd season.
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