Obituary for Martha "Queen" Parker
Martha Lee Oliver Parker was born May 12, 1919 in Crewe, VA to the late Kate Jennings Oliver and the late Douglas Oliver, Sr. She was, affectionally, known to most as “Queen”. After a short illness, she departed this life on Monday, January 1, 2018 at Mt. Carmel St. Ann’s Hospital in Westerville, OH. She was baptized at Union Baptist Church in Crewe, VA in 1929. Martha loved to sew. She would sew quilts to supplement her income. She was known throughout the neighborhood for her homemade ice cream, sweet potato puffs and her rolls. She LOVED fishing with her cane pole. Martha loved to use brown paper bags to design patterns, cut and sew her own hats and her own dress patterns when necessary. Her children and grandchildren wore beautifully designed school and church dresses, proudly. She made hats for the first Organized Women’s Auxiliary Board of Union Baptist Church.
Martha attended Watson Elementary School from Primary through the 7th grade. She completed the 8th grade at Blackstone.
Martha was employed for many years as a domestic worker in Crewe, VA. Martha worked 10 years at Bassett Furniture Industries in Burkeville, VA, where she retired.
Martha will be remembered for her love of life, her wisdom, and her special kind of humor. She was a faithful member of the church for 88 years and she rarely missed a Sunday of attendance. She faithfully attended Sunday School, the 8 AM AND 11 AM service every Sunday and attended any other programs occurring that day. During her younger years, it was not unusual to see her with a large group of kids WALKING to Church to attend Sunday School and Church services every Sunday. Everyone that met her had to love her and always remembered her. Ms. Queen loved to wear her hats. She will be remembered as a beautiful wife, mom, loving sister, aunt, cousin, friend, teacher, counselor, grandmother, great grandmother and great-great grandmother, prayer warrior and a soul winner.
She had some special friends that she stayed in contact with EVERY DAY: Ms. Marie Casper and Ms. Ida Rather. Prior to their friendship, she and her neighbor, Mrs. Lillie Ford (deceased) talked every day and night and often ran errands together. Special friends/relatives include Ms. Bertha Bland, Mrs. Hazel Jefferson, Ms. Elizabeth Crawley and Ms. Almeda Knight. Per one of her friends, “She was someone you can talk to easily and she was a good listener to all.”
Martha and William were joined in holy matrimony and to this union six children were born: Aubrey A. Parker (Crewe, VA) and Cynthia (Stanley) Ball (Columbus, OH). Martha was proceeded in death by her daughters: Constance “Friss” Johnson, Kate J. Parker Knight (Nick) Crewe, VA and a baby girl. Her son William A. Parker, Jr. also proceeded her in death. Martha was proceeded in death by her loving husband William A. Parker, Sr. Ms. Queen had more than six children because she was adopted by many people in the neighborhood as their mother or auntie. It was not a strange event to wake up in the morning and have extra people sleeping in the house and ready for breakfast.
Martha is survived by: her son Aubrey A. Parker of Crewe, VA and her daughter Cynthia Parker (Stanley) Ball of Columbus, OH and Barbara Wingo of Amelia, VA; twelve grandchildren: Russell Johnson of Baltimore, MD, Avis Johnson of Crewe, Jacqueline Johnson (Charles) Fowlkes of Crewe, VA, Kyle Ball (Columbus, OH), Matthew Knight (Jackie) of Cookstown NJ, Roger Knight (Deborah) of Brooklyn, NY, Valerie Parker of Dallas TX, Aubrey Parker, Jr. of Dallas, TX, Deborah Parker of Dallas, TX, Gary Parker of Dallas, TX, Felecia Parker of Dallas, TX and Felicia Irby of NC. Three grandchildren proceeded her in death: Ronald Knight, Joe Johnson Jr. and Elvis Johnson, seventeen great grandchildren: Michael Johnson of Baltimore, MD, Tiffany Mobley of Crewe, VA, LaTasha Stokes of Crewe, VA, Stacey Johnson of Burkeville, VA, Dominique Johnson of Richmond, VA, Ryan Johnson of Baltimore, MD, Brandon Johnson of Richmond, VA, Jessica Johnson of Richmond, VA; and twenty-five great-great grandchildren: La Quoya, Sa Niyah, Tyzohn, Ja’Nyla, Jai’ Elle (Football), Ju’ Liah, Keiasha, Mena, Antonio, McKinley, Leila, Briel, Brycelyn, Michael, Jr., Xavier, Taylor, nine additional great-grandchildren of Aubrey Parker and Damian Johnson of Baltimore, MD proceeded her in death.
Martha was one of eleven children. She was preceded in death by three brothers: Douglas Oliver Jr, Lee Royal Oliver of Crewe, VA, James Oliver of Brooklyn, NY; three sisters: Doretha Irby (John Frank), Irma Tugglar (Earl), and Betty Clark (Walter); a brother-in-law, Garfield Chaffin. She leaves to cherish her memories: two bothers: Clarence Oliver (Ora) Richmond, VA, and Fred Oliver of Blackstone, VA; two sisters: Marie Chaffin Crewe, VA and Eunice Oliver Crewe, VA; three sisters-in-law: Thomasine Oliver and Betty Oliver of Crewe, VA and Mildred Oliver of Brooklyn, NY., and a host of nieces, nephews, great and great-great
nieces and nephews, friends and relatives.
Funeral Services Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. at Union Baptist Church, Crewe. Interment Oliver Family Cemetery, Crewe.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of arrangements.
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Martha attended Watson Elementary School from Primary through the 7th grade. She completed the 8th grade at Blackstone.
Martha was employed for many years as a domestic worker in Crewe, VA. Martha worked 10 years at Bassett Furniture Industries in Burkeville, VA, where she retired.
Martha will be remembered for her love of life, her wisdom, and her special kind of humor. She was a faithful member of the church for 88 years and she rarely missed a Sunday of attendance. She faithfully attended Sunday School, the 8 AM AND 11 AM service every Sunday and attended any other programs occurring that day. During her younger years, it was not unusual to see her with a large group of kids WALKING to Church to attend Sunday School and Church services every Sunday. Everyone that met her had to love her and always remembered her. Ms. Queen loved to wear her hats. She will be remembered as a beautiful wife, mom, loving sister, aunt, cousin, friend, teacher, counselor, grandmother, great grandmother and great-great grandmother, prayer warrior and a soul winner.
She had some special friends that she stayed in contact with EVERY DAY: Ms. Marie Casper and Ms. Ida Rather. Prior to their friendship, she and her neighbor, Mrs. Lillie Ford (deceased) talked every day and night and often ran errands together. Special friends/relatives include Ms. Bertha Bland, Mrs. Hazel Jefferson, Ms. Elizabeth Crawley and Ms. Almeda Knight. Per one of her friends, “She was someone you can talk to easily and she was a good listener to all.”
Martha and William were joined in holy matrimony and to this union six children were born: Aubrey A. Parker (Crewe, VA) and Cynthia (Stanley) Ball (Columbus, OH). Martha was proceeded in death by her daughters: Constance “Friss” Johnson, Kate J. Parker Knight (Nick) Crewe, VA and a baby girl. Her son William A. Parker, Jr. also proceeded her in death. Martha was proceeded in death by her loving husband William A. Parker, Sr. Ms. Queen had more than six children because she was adopted by many people in the neighborhood as their mother or auntie. It was not a strange event to wake up in the morning and have extra people sleeping in the house and ready for breakfast.
Martha is survived by: her son Aubrey A. Parker of Crewe, VA and her daughter Cynthia Parker (Stanley) Ball of Columbus, OH and Barbara Wingo of Amelia, VA; twelve grandchildren: Russell Johnson of Baltimore, MD, Avis Johnson of Crewe, Jacqueline Johnson (Charles) Fowlkes of Crewe, VA, Kyle Ball (Columbus, OH), Matthew Knight (Jackie) of Cookstown NJ, Roger Knight (Deborah) of Brooklyn, NY, Valerie Parker of Dallas TX, Aubrey Parker, Jr. of Dallas, TX, Deborah Parker of Dallas, TX, Gary Parker of Dallas, TX, Felecia Parker of Dallas, TX and Felicia Irby of NC. Three grandchildren proceeded her in death: Ronald Knight, Joe Johnson Jr. and Elvis Johnson, seventeen great grandchildren: Michael Johnson of Baltimore, MD, Tiffany Mobley of Crewe, VA, LaTasha Stokes of Crewe, VA, Stacey Johnson of Burkeville, VA, Dominique Johnson of Richmond, VA, Ryan Johnson of Baltimore, MD, Brandon Johnson of Richmond, VA, Jessica Johnson of Richmond, VA; and twenty-five great-great grandchildren: La Quoya, Sa Niyah, Tyzohn, Ja’Nyla, Jai’ Elle (Football), Ju’ Liah, Keiasha, Mena, Antonio, McKinley, Leila, Briel, Brycelyn, Michael, Jr., Xavier, Taylor, nine additional great-grandchildren of Aubrey Parker and Damian Johnson of Baltimore, MD proceeded her in death.
Martha was one of eleven children. She was preceded in death by three brothers: Douglas Oliver Jr, Lee Royal Oliver of Crewe, VA, James Oliver of Brooklyn, NY; three sisters: Doretha Irby (John Frank), Irma Tugglar (Earl), and Betty Clark (Walter); a brother-in-law, Garfield Chaffin. She leaves to cherish her memories: two bothers: Clarence Oliver (Ora) Richmond, VA, and Fred Oliver of Blackstone, VA; two sisters: Marie Chaffin Crewe, VA and Eunice Oliver Crewe, VA; three sisters-in-law: Thomasine Oliver and Betty Oliver of Crewe, VA and Mildred Oliver of Brooklyn, NY., and a host of nieces, nephews, great and great-great
nieces and nephews, friends and relatives.
Funeral Services Saturday, January 6, 2018 at 12:00 p.m. at Union Baptist Church, Crewe. Interment Oliver Family Cemetery, Crewe.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of arrangements.
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