The Long and Useful Life of a Beloved Christian Lady Ended.
Mary Levan Parker was born in Germany, Kingdom of Prussia, District of Travers, on the banks of the river Mossel, December 13, 1842; died at Manning, Iowa, October 13, 1907, aged 64 years and 10 months.
In the year 1846 the family came to America and settled at Jamestown, Pennsylvania, where her childhood days were spent. In 1857 they moved from Jamestown to Dixon, Illinois.

She was married to John Parker in 1866, and continued their residence at Dixon until 1879, when they came to Iowa, settling on the farm which now is their home.

There are six children in the family, and all living: Jennie, Mrs. Ida Rocksien, Clara and Minnie, of Manning; Mrs. Grace Waugh of Chicago, and Charles of Algona, Iowa.

Methodist Church (November 11, 1909)

In her fifteenth year she was converted and joined the Methodist Episcopal Church. She was one of the charter members of the Church in Manning, and rendered very efficient service to the struggling church in the pioneer times, and continued such service to the end. She not only gave her presence and labor to the kingdom of God, but was a systematic giver of her means, always setting aside as certain amount of her income for this purpose.
During the last few months of her life she was not able to attend the church services, for which she often expressed a regret, stating that the Sabbath days seemed so long without the privilege of the church services.

Sister Parker was a good woman dominant in her life. How often have those beautiful hands wiped away the falling tear, soothed the fever-scorched brow, and those lips have kissed away trouble from the aching heart. Well may the children, in retrospective with the poet, cry:
Backward, turn backward, O time, in your flight,
Make me a child again just for tonight.
Mother, come back from the echoless shore,
Take me to your heart as of yore;
Kiss from my forehead he furrows of care,
Sooth the few silver threads out of my hair;
Over my slumbers your loving watch keep,
Rock me to sleep, mother, rock me to sleep.

In the last few months of her life she was a great sufferer, yet she bore it all with Christian resignation and fortitude, with implicit confidence in the divine word, "If it so be that we suffer with Him, that we also may be glorified together. Reckoning that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us."
Her life was exemplary, forgetting her own sufferings, she administered to the needs of others. The highest ministry on earth is to help a soul in the time of need. This she did in the spirit of Him who said, "He that giveth a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, he shall in no wise loose his reward." She always helped the needy and gave as serving and giving to the Lord. In her christian life she was reserved and quiet.

The principles and spirit of the gospel were deeply imbedded in her everyday life.
And is this all we should say of her, the wife, the mother, the christian, the beloved of all who knew her? Does the noble life end and her labors cease? No! The great God smiles to write her name in the "Lamb's Book of Life," and her works do follow her. On earth a christian, in heaven a crowned princess. She was an honest woman, with spotless character. A christian, the highest title ever given to mortal beings. Her life was noble, bright, happy, industrious, peaceful and kind, loved and respected by all. Once among us, but now; among the blood-washed throng, with placid face she surveys the environs of the Heavenly Eden; with hallowed feet she walks the gold-paved streets of the New Jerusalem, the everlasting city of God. Palms of, victory in her hands, songs of praise in her mouth, she now enjoys the emolument of the righteous. Let the grief-stricken husband cease to mourn and the sorrowing children cease to weep. You have no mother on earth, but you have a sainted mother in Heaven. After months of suffering she is freed at last.
The soul was wafted from the tenement of mouldering clay to another abode where, let it be hoped, there is a reward for the sacrifices and suffering down home in the body.
The funeral services were held Wednesday morning at 10 o'clock at the M.E. Church. The pastor Rev. Golden paid a most beautiful tribute to the departed and the choir rendered some very appropriate music. At the close of this solemn service, all were permitted to look for the last time upon the face of Mrs. Parker. The floral offerings were unsurpassed in profusion and beauty. The sad cortege then moved on to our silent city.

Those present from out of town were Jacob and John Levan, of Dixon, Illinois; Frank Levan of Rhodes, Iowa; and Mrs. C.W. Parker, Algona, Iowa.

Mary Parker is buried in the Manning City Cemetery.
Section C Row #22 south - north.