Blanch Parker
Blanch Parker, 95, passed away at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, Tuesday, January 6, 2009. She lived in Shawnee, Kansas and had been a Kansas City area resident since the age of 14.
She was born the in Pierce City, Missouri on September 19, 1913. She had been the last survivor of 14 children from her parents William Smith and Louella Wilson Smith.
Blanch was married in 1934 to Edson Briggs Parker, Jr. who preceded her in death in 1984. She was also preceded in death by two daughters, Jo Ann Powell and Lois G. Clark, both of the Kansas City area. She was survived by a son, Edson B. Parker, III (Dolores) of Overland Park. Grandchildren; Edson B. Parker, IV (Rose), Dianne Card (Jack), Rance Wayne Powell (Susan), Beverly Card (Jim) all of Kansas City, Kansas and Carol Vawser (Jack) of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She is also survived by 13 great grandchildren, 18 great, great grandchildren, and many loving nephews and nieces.
She came to Kansas City with older siblings and took care of children in her employers homes while attending Northeast and Paseo High Schools. She worked at the Union Station handling mail during WWII. Later she became a beautician managing her brother Fred Smith’s Shoe Repair, Beauty and Barber Shop on the square in Independence, Missouri. She started and owned Chic Beauty Salon in 1948 in Kansas City, Kansas, where she had 4 full time beauticians until she sold the shop in 1964. She had a reduced clientele in her home beauty shop on State Ave until 1972.
Blanch’s church activities were with Grandview Christian Church and Stoney Point Christian church in Kansas City, Kansas, where she was in the women’s society, choir and a deaconess. She later became a member of the First Baptist Church in Shawnee.
Upon moving to Shawnee in 1972, she formed and directed the Merriam Senior Nutrition Center’s Kitchen Band that played at Old Shawnee Days and nursing homes throughout the area. Blanch was also a secretary for the Johnson County Area on Aging, Nutrition, Site council.
Blanch believed strongly in taking care of her health and lived in her home with some home housekeeping, Meals on Wheels and visiting nurse care until she went to the hospital where she passed away peacefully of congestive heart failure.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the Overland Park Host Lions Club Endowment Fund or the City Union Mission.
Visitation and Funeral Service
Services will be held Saturday at the Amos Family Chapel of Shawnee with a visitation from 10 to 11 AM followed by the service at 11 AM. Burial will follow services in Johnson County Memorial Gardens.
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I know how hard it is to lose your Mom ,but you can be happy in that you enable her to be at home to the end. That was one of her biggest fears was staying in a nursing home. Sorry I was uable to get down a floor to see her,I would have loved to have visited her but they had me grounded.Sorry I will miss her service but with the surgery I am not out yet. Best wishes & my Prayers for you & yours.
Sorry to hear of Aunt Blanch’s passing. There are so many wonderful memories when we would all come to Kansas City to visit our Grandfather Fred Smith and we would always make sure we visited with Blanch and Edson. Our thoughts and prayers are with Edson, Dolores and the rest of the family. Love, Barbara.
Edson, Dolores & Family,
It was sad to hear of your Mom’s passing. I am so glad I got to see her this past year. I have such wonderful memories of both your Mom and Dad. They were our favorites when we came to visit our grandfather. No wonder she lived so long. She was a very active person. She certainly left a high standard for us to follow.
Our prayers and best wishes are with you all.
Love, Carol
My heart goes out to you in the passing of your mother; it is never easy to lose a family member whom we love so dearly; I loved aunt Blanche very much; she reminds me so much of my own mother, Pearl Piper, I wish I could have been closer to be able to see her more often, but the times that I was able to see her and talk to her on the phone were truly special; I have wonderful memories of her that I will carry always; May the Lord give you comfort, and enfold you in His peace; My prayers are with you Love, Geniece (Jan)
I am so very thankful to have known Aunt Blanch. I loved her so very much. My mom was working in her shop in Kansas City, Kansas when my dad, Charles Johnson her nephew, came in and Aunt Blanch had introduced them. They later married and that’s how I came to be.
To me aunt Blanch was a woman with a sharp mind who loved to read westerns and had a loving heart. She loved her family very much and would talk about them with much pride and joy.
I would call her when I was happy, sad or just because I wanted to hear her voice. I know she really cared and it always made me feel better just by talking with her. I will miss our phone conversations and visits and will always be greatful for our time together and will cherish those memories always.
I am very proud to be related to and to have known such a wonderful lady. Anyone who knows aunt Blanch will be a better person because of her!
I know she is at rest now with our Lord and savior Jesus Christ.
My mom, Wilma Johnson and family, send our love and heartfelt condolences to Edson, Delores and family.
Sincerely,
Kathi Johnson
Hi, I’m Jim Eliot who is the son of Geniece (Jan) Eliot (formerly Piper) who also posted a condolence on this site whose grandmother was Pearl Piper, Aunt Blanche’s older sister. Even though I didn’t get to see Aunt Blanche very much, the few times I seen here I remember having such a cheery countenance and her being so very kind in her admiration/comments of her older sister, my grandmother Pearl, because of her positive attitude and loving disposition (especially towards grandmother) I have always had warm thoughts and feelings when I think of her and the kind of person she was. I also appreciate the fact that her and my cousin Glen Piper stayed in close contact and since I am close to Glen I knew how much the relationship meant to him. My thoughts and prayers are with the family but perhaps the family can take comfort in knowing that (my Aunt) Blanche was such a warm, caring, person who, it seems, loved God and others so her time here on Earth was never wasted. God bless you all!!
I’m Geniece Eliot’s daughter, Karen. I wish to also offer my condolence to you. Aunt Blanch was very sweet and loving, just like my grandmother, her older sister Pearl Piper. As I live on the west coast, it’s unfortunate I couldn’t get out to visit more often. I do remember getting the pleasure of meeting Aunt Blanch at my grandmother’s 100th birthday party in 1995. Loving and kind thoughts to you during this hurtful time. Know that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is taking wonderful care of her now.
Sincerely,
Karen Eliot Hamel