Marsha Anne (Miles) Parker, 69, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Friday, April 28, 2023, in Sedgwick, Kansas.
She was born on January 5, 1954, in Karnak, Illinois to Ernest and Alma Marie McKinney Miles. She was the eighth of nine children. At ten years old, she accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as her Savior at the local Methodist church.
She attended schools in Pulaski County and graduated from Carbondale Community High School in 1972. During this time Ernest passed away in 1971. From 1972 to 1974 she attended Shawnee Community College in Ullin, Illinois where she graduated with a degree in Secretarial Science.
She bought her first car, a red Plymouth Duster in 1974. She and her family moved to Gates, Tennessee in 1976. She worked as a secretary for a short while but then took a job at the Tupperware plant in Halls, Tennessee because she was excited to make a higher wage. In retrospect, she decided she was not fond of the increased workload, but she stayed until October of 1978.
On October 7,1978 at 24 years old, she married Rory Parker at their church in Nutbush, Tennessee. Nine months later July 14, 1979, Charity was born. Approximately 13 months afterwards, on August 26, 1980, Samuel was born. She was a stay-at-home mom until 1987 when she took a position as a teacher’s assistant at Haywood Elementary. On August 14, 1989, through some difficulty Rebekah was born. She was born four months early and the family would take weekend day trips to Memphis, Tennessee to visit the baby at the MED, the Regional Medical Center of Memphis until the baby was able to come home in December of 1989.
Marsha continued to work at Haywood Elementary until 2003. In June of 2003, her first grandchild, Joseph, was born making her a grandma.
In August of 2005, she and her family moved to Park City, Kansas. In 2009, she began attending National American University. She obtained a degree in Medical Billing and Coding and graduated in May 2013.
She enjoyed singing in church, reading, spending time with her family, eating lasagna, watching Star Trek, shopping for clothes, Christian music and Irish music like Celtic Woman. She didn’t enjoy the travel, but she enjoyed being on vacation once she arrived. She was always a very positive person with kind words to shower on those around her.
Preceded in death by her parents Ernest and Marie Miles, and her siblings- Ray Miles, Earlene Free, David Miles and Sharon Miles.
Survived by her husband, Rory Parker; children Charity Parker, Samuel Parker (Bethany) and Rebekah Parker; grandchildren Joseph (Emma), Aaron, Levi, EmmaKate, Lily and Sadie Parker; great granddaughter Ella Parker; siblings Francis Robinson (Esco), Donna Dobbs (Ron), Ron Miles (Dora), Bobby Miles (Crystal); many other family and friends.
Services will be held 1:00 p.m., Saturday, May 6, at Word Made Flesh Assembly, 136 N. Wichita Ave, Bentley, Kansas. Graveside will follow at the Pleasant Valley Cemetery, 12010 W. 109th St. N., Bentley, Kansas.
Arrangements are through Baker Funeral Home Valley Center. Condolences may be left for the family at www.bakerfhvc.com.