Dolores Parker

Born on Mother’s Day May 10, 1936 to Harold Bernard and Ida Mae (Wilch) Lindholm in Topeka, KS.   Harold was a mechanic at the Sante Fe Railroad and Ida had just left the Reels Division of Capper Publications after eight years.

Dolores graduated from Lowman Hill Boswell Junior High in Topeka and was giving piano lessons at age 13.  At Topeka High School she accompanied vocalist, played organ, string bass and gradDoloresuated with honors in 1954.

She started out to play the cello but would have had to take the cello home to practice on the bus so she switched to the string bass where she could practice at school.

She went to KU and majored in teaching with a minor in Home Economics.  Even though she was not a music minor, she considered herself an accomplished musician and played string bass in the KU Symphony .

Dolores dated and then married Edson B. Parker III, while at KU. They were married at Lowman Methodist Church in Topeka on April 5, 1958.  The marriage continued until her death just 3 weeks short of 64 years.

While Edson was still a student, Dolores graduated and they moved to Topeka where she  taught at Rice Elementary school.  She taught music to first through eight graders and language arts to eight grade.  The next year she established Rice Schools first kindergarden.  It was a joy to know all the school.  She was also secretary to Rice’s PTA.

Rice school was on the outskirts of Topeka and was taken into the Topeka system.  Dolores  moved to Emporia, Kansas where Edson worked as an Engineer for Hallmark Cards, they bought their first home, joined the Methodist Church and just 3 1/2 years later in a corporate move  transferred to Kansas City Missouri.

Dolores was a homemaker her entire life but gave piano lessons on request.  They bought their second home in Overland Park and she became a member of what is now Church of the Resurrection in Overland Park.  She was devoted to her son Edson IV and his four kids. Dolores and family have lived in Overland Park since 1964.

Dolores was her son Briggs’ Cub Scout Leader (Bear and Webelow), in home assistant   PTA at Comanchee, Rice, Briarwood, Meadowbrook and East High was enjoyable for her.  She also remembers going down the Kansas River to the Missouri and climbing up a locomotive with second graders as being thrilling!

Dolores thought Confirmation Class for seventh and eighth graders and UMYF dinners were fun experiences.  She enjoyed church preschool, Sunday school, and teaching Vacation Bible School.

Her parish family was important to her.   Also, far off trips to personal family reunions.

Dolores was an avid reader and TV news buff.  Her idea a fun was to have reading materials scattered around the house.  She had a habit of underlining important points in the articles.  She also liked to watch KU basketball, Bold and Beautiful soap opera and Young Sheldon.

She was an election precinct poll worker in Johnson County for more than 40 years and much of that time was a supervisor election Judge. It seemed like she knew everyone by name in the neighborhood.

She also helped her husband with his activities in the Overland Park Jaycees and Overland Park Lions.  She received an award from the Overland Park Jaycee Jaynes for outstanding work in chairing a project and was the only person ever to receive the award without being a Jayne member herself.

She was preceeded in death by her parents, Edson’s parents and sister in-laws, Lois Clark and Jo Ann Powell.  Also nieces Dianne Card and Carol Lowry

She is survived by nephew Rance Powell and niece Beverly Card.

She will be missed by her many cousins and son, wife, and grandchildren.