Jesse Willard Parker Obituary (1927 - 2019)

Jesse Willard Parker age 92 of Normal, IL passed away at 4:10 pm Sunday July 14 2019 in Normal IL. His funeral service will be 10 AM Thursday July 18 2019 at Calvert Metzler Memorial Home Bloomington IL. Rev Mark Smith will be officiating. Military rites will be accorded at the funeral home by the Bloomington Normal American Legion Honor Guard at the memorial home. Private interment will be at Park Hill Cemetery, Bloomington, IL. Jesse W. Parker was born 2 July 1927 in Baldwin County Alabama to Coey E and Cornelia Thomley Parker. He married Dorothy Eswine Parker on April 25, 1953 in Evansville Indiana. Dorothy passed away May 14 2013 after celebrating 60 years of marriage. Surviving to cherish his memory is his daughter Sandra "Sandy" Parker of Normal IL, 2 sisters, Ida Belle Monks of Florida, Lil Morton of Florida, 1 brother, Bob (Charlene) of Oklahoma, and a half-sister Judy Woods of Illinois. Numerous nieces and nephews also survive. Jesse is preceded in death by his two sisters, Annie in infancy and Louise Lucas, 2 brothers, Coey Jr. and William. In lieu of flowers the family suggests memorials be made to the Sandra J. Schulze ACS Hope Lodge 411 Second Street NW, Rochester MN 55901 where my father felt the Lord used his cancer as a mission opportunity which he and Ida embraced wholeheartedly for the good of all those in residence. As the eldest surviving child in the family, he was fondly called "Big Brother" by his siblings. While he often told his daughter he was going to live to 100, on his birthday this year he said no when asked if he ever thought he would live to 92. At the age of 17, during WW II he joined the Merchant Marines. He was on a ship off the coast of France loaded with ammo during the invasion. He did not talk of this till late in his life and he said it was a close to hell as anyone should ever come. After serving in the Army during the Korean "conflict", he sold fertilizer for a company called VEE CEE but when he learned there was a post office testing taking place in Bloomington, he came and was hired as a letter carrier. He delivered the mail for most of his working life, but also served as the VOMA and retired as the post master at the Lexington Post Office. He loved his time in that community, where he was a member of the American Legion Post. He ran for the Bloomington City Council and served with Mayors Walt Bittner, Richard Buchanan and Jesse Smart. He continued to serve in the National Guard, rising to the rank of Lt. Colonel. He was 33rd degree Mason, a member of the Mohammed Shrine and the Eastern Star. Prior to his physical infirmity and dementia he was an active Member of Calvary Baptist Church in Normal IL, He was an avid outdoorsman, fisherman, hunter and appreciator of all animals. He was a gifted story teller. His family thanks his Heritage Health caregivers, his faithful friends, and Transitions Hospice for their love and compassion during his final care and especially his last hours.