I have been asked to provide some family history as in who’s who. I will begin to deal with this as it relates to my mother, who after all is the main focus of the blog. This family photo was the first of four Parks Family photos taken between 1947 and 1965. The photo was taken in the living room of 1352 South 4th Street, Allentown, Pennsylvania which was the family home at the time.
Standing are:
- Stanley – the 4th son (6th child) … Papa (Harry) Parks signed with he could join the Marines under age to go fight in WWII. He celebrated his 19th birthday while fighting in the Battle of Peleliu in the South Pacific.
- Bernice – the 2nd daughter (5th child) … My Mother was a high school student and young wife during the timeframe of World War II.
- Warren – the 3rd son (3rd child) … He was the first of the children to be born in Allentown, PA … He joined the US Marines in May of 1942.
- Louise – the 3rd daughter (7th child) … She was only 14 when the war broke out.
- Harry Jr. – the 2nd son (2nd child) … He was born in Denver, CO … He joined the US Navy on 30 December 1941, only 23 days after Pearl Harbor.
Seated on Sofa are:
- Robert – the 5th son (8th child) … AKA, Bobby was the oldest of the four younger boys … He was barely 9 when the US entered the war.
- Mabel – AKA, Mama … The matriarch of the family and the mother of the 11 Parks children.
- Frank – the 1st son (1st child) … He was born in Ogden, Utah. Frank is the reason that Bernice and Bill Huntley got together … He joined the Marines on the same day as William R. Huntley on the 13th of February 1939.
- Lucille – the 1st daughter (4th child) … She was in high school when my parent’s met … She was 18 when World War began.
- Harry Sr. – AKA, Papa … The patriarch of the Parks clan … He was an electrician and during the War years he was on the ration board .
- William – the 6th son (9th child) … AKA, Billy was just a child during my parent’s courtship.
Seated on the Floor are:
- Donald – the 8th son (11th child) … AKA, Donnie the baby of the family was born the year … in fact just two months before … my parents met.
- Edwin – the 7th son (10th child) … AKA, Eddie was 5 when Bill Huntley first same to Allentown.
