JAMES MOTLOW PARKS
James Motlow Parks (called "Jim"), b October 14, L862 in Grundy County
Tennessee in the Pelham Valley area near Lynchburg, Tennessee, d November 22,
L931 between Rosebud and Pleasant Grove in Falls County, Texas and buried in
Powers Chapel Cemetery -was a son of George Washington and Caroline Tabitha
(Motlow) Parks of Tennessee who had settled in Falls County in 1867. James
Motlow Parks inherited his share of his parents land, and purchased in 1893 the
land inherited by his brothers and sisters; and he continued to farm and raise
livestock the remainder of his life.
On December 10, 1891 in Falls County, Texas, James Motlow Parks married a
young widow, Mrs. Ida Elizabeth (Boyd) Asbury, b February 2, 1866 in Leake
County, Mississippi, d March 15, 1916 and buried in Powers Chapel Cemetery - a
daughter of Benjamin Franklin Boyd and his first wife, Leamanda (Barefoot) Boyd.
Ida Elizabeth was brought to Texas by her eldest brother, Isaac Alexander Boyd
before 1880; and on September 8, 1887, Ida Elizabeth Boyd had married first in
Falls County to Albert Horace Asbury, b November 9, 1864, d July 22, 1889 and
buried in Powers Chapel Cemetery. One daughter, b September 1889 after her
father's death, was named for her father with the names reversed: Horace Albert
Asbury, who married Roy William Atkins; and she was reared by her stepfather,
James Motlow Parks.
Jim and Ida made their on the land his parents had purchased between
present-day Rosebud and Pleasant Grove in west Falls County, and he farmed and
raised some stock. His primary crop was cotton. They were the parents of six
children:
Lawrence Ruble Parks, b October 5, 1892 in Falls County, Texas, d
December 24, 1975 in Rosebud and buried in Powers Chapel Cemetery - married May
19, 1923 in Falls County to Mattie Beatrice Roberts, b March 11, 1902 - a
daughter of Horace E. and Lizzie Mae (Boone) Roberts. Lawrence was a postman in
Falls County for many years. They were the parents of one son: James Edward
Parks, b October 12,1928 at Temple, Bell County, Texas, is in the insurance
business in Dallas, Texas, and resides in Keen, Texas. James Ed- ward Parks
married October 22, 1955 in Burkburnett, Texas to Betty Hill, who died October
31, 1977, and had John Daniel Parks, b January 3,1964.
Jack Loy Parks, b May 25, 1895 in Falls County, Texas, d June 4, 1966 in
Amarillo, Potter County, Texas and buried there in Llano Cemetery, served in
World War I - attaining the rank of Major. On June 26, 1918 in Grand Prairie,
Texas, Jack married Stella Irene Garrett, b October 1, 1895 in Stranger, Falls
County, Texas, d March 7, 1982 in Dallas, Texas and buried in Llano Cemetery in
Amarillo by her husband -a daughter of James Odell and Elizabeth Ann (Jack- son)
Garrett of the Stranger Community in Falls County. They were the parents of two
sons: Jack Loy Parks, Jr., b November 4,1919 in Amarillo, Texas who married
Clora Jean Dill and had Jack Loy Parks III and James Mark Parks; and James Grady
Parks, b August 4, 1924 in Amarillo, Texas who married first to Winifred Mae
("Peggy") Cleghorn and had James Michael Parks and Jack Russell Parks, married
second to Gertrude Ann Laney ("Ann") and had Sandra Lee Parks and Rebecca Ann
Parks.
Margaret Gladys Parks, b October 12, 1898- married July 9, 1925 in
Amarillo, Texas to Richard LeRoy Saunders, b September 9, 1891 in Kentucky, d
November 26,1977 in Fort Worth, Texas, and had one son: James LeRoy Saunders, b
March 27, 1929 who married August 29, 1952 to Shirley Ann Sims and had Steven
Richard Saunders, Shauna Susanne Saunders, and Scott Sims Saunders.
Luther Isaac Parks (called "Ike"), b August 17, 1901 - is a real estate
agent in Dumas, Texas – married Balanche Catron, deceased; and had no children.
James Motlow Parks, Jr., b October 10, 1904, d January 8, 1905, and
buried in Powers Cemetery.
Frank Wells Parks, b October 28, 1908, d June 16, 1931 and buried in
Powers Cemetery – married 1930 to Vivian Chapman, and had no children.
Copyright Permission granted to Theresa Carhart for printing the biographies of
these Falls County Families to this Web page.
"Families of Falls County", Compiled and Edited by the Falls County Historical
Commission, page 342 column 1 and 2 and page 343 column 1.
Member of Falls County Historical Commission.
