After a stellar comeback in 2019, we sadly had to postpone our 2020 Parkerfest plans, but Kevin and Dana was able to pull off an AMAZING return of Parkerfest in 2022!!
The festivities started on Friday, October 7th, with the opening ceremony hosted by the “Next Generation” team of Dana & Kevin (with lots of help from their significant others of course!) and continued that evening at an outdoor Eagles cover band concert in Canton, Georgia.
On Saturday we had an incredible turnout at Leesa’s Fiesta in Acworth, Georgia, complete with sombreros, Coronas (the good kind aka BEERS), and the obligatory intense volleyball tournament. Good times were had by all! Remarkably, all 10 of the Parker siblings were able to attend.
Parkerfest closed out on Sunday with breakfast at Golden Corral followed by a cousin bowling tournament. It was a great weekend and we were all so happy to see the younger generation taking the reins and continuing on with the Parkerfest tradition of gathering together for good company, good food, and good times. As Dana said during the opening ceremony, Parkerfest was always a special time and a “favorite holiday” for so many of us growing up, and now we can say with confidence that the next generation will also remember the special occasion of Parkerfest! Thank you to all who made 2022 Parkerfest such a success!
We are thrilled that the first “Next Generation” Parkerfest was such a success this year, all thanks to the determination of our leading team of Kevin and Dana. A lot of hard work has gone into reviving Parkerfest, but the great turnout this year is a testament to how strong the Parker family has remained over the years. We had cousins coming from all over the Southeast to rekindle that old Parkerfest spirit. There were over 50 people in attendance at Leesa and Jason’s Fiesta event on Saturday!
After a stellar comeback in 2019, we sadly had to postpone our 2020 Parkerfest plans, but Kevin and Dana was able to pull off an AMAZING return of Parkerfest in 2022!!
The festivities started on Friday, October 7th, with the opening ceremony hosted by the “Next Generation” team of Dana & Kevin (with lots of help from their significant others of course!) and continued that evening at an outdoor Eagles cover band concert in Canton, Georgia.
On Saturday we had an incredible turnout at Leesa’s Fiesta in Acworth, Georgia, complete with sombreros, Coronas (the good kind aka BEERS), and the obligatory intense volleyball tournament. Good times were had by all! Remarkably, all 10 of the Parker siblings were able to attend.
Parkerfest closed out on Sunday with breakfast at Golden Corral followed by a cousin bowling tournament. It was a great weekend and we were all so happy to see the younger generation taking the reins and continuing on with the Parkerfest tradition of gathering together for good company, good food, and good times. As Dana said during the opening ceremony, Parkerfest was always a special time and a “favorite holiday” for so many of us growing up, and now we can say with confidence that the next generation will also remember the special occasion of Parkerfest! Thank you to all who made 2022 Parkerfest such a success!
After six years, Parkerfest returned to Hebron, South Carolina in 2019! Bill recruited Leesa and Jeannie to form the official Parkerfest Hebron 2019 committee. The “Once Upon a Time” theme was chosen because this Parkerfest was about “The Old Place” and reflecting on our past, celebrating all the good times we’ve shared over the years. We were thinking that these gatherings would be few and far between or were not going to happen at all. Some us feared that 2019 may even be the last Parkerfest . . . but then . . . BAM! The Next Generation stepped up and assured us that Parkerfest will continue under their leadership for the family and our future generations to experience! What a spectacular moment! They are blasting into 2020 with tradition weaved into their fresh new ideas for Parkerfest! Aunt Judy challenged them at “S’mores and Stories” night, saying, “I want to see The Next Generation top this!” Their reply? “It is ON! BIG TIME!” Another challenge popped up when the older Parkers SLAMMED The Next Generation in volleyball! The Next Gen claims that they are taking down the 2019 champions in 2020! We are so proud of them and are waiting with great anticipation to see how they are going to lead us into the next decade!
What a great time we all had at Parkerfest 2019! Thank you to everyone for pitching in and making this reunion what it was!
Bill did an UNBELIEVABLE job with photos, videos, and organizing the entire event. Leesa amazed and delighted us all with her decorating and food planning skills, and she organized one of the highlights of the event with her “Once Upon a Time” story game. Jeannie used her invaluable technological and communications skills to make sure we all had the information we needed and that everyone was in the loop. She has also created this new website, which will be a fantastic communication tool as well as a place to post our family archives. Aunt Judy did anything and everything we asked her to do and came up with the perfect idea of the community center. She was running back and forth, constantly asking what she could do next. The entire family pitched in with cleanup, desserts, and donations.
We’re so blessed to be a part of such an amazing family!
Leesa once again amazed us all with her creativity and organization skills for her Parker Siblings Trivia Game extravaganza!
Once upon a time, there was a Parker who…
The first group that completed the following tasks correctly to receive a token. The group that had the most tokens won, and each person in the group received $25.00! The cash prize caused some chaos in the scramble to get to the picture table first, but eventually the winning group emerged! Matt Beard, never one to enjoy losing a competition, bounced between teams trying to pick the winners based on proximity to the picture table, but in the end it was Jason Abney, Brad, Donna and Matt (kinda sorta the traitor!) who won the prize!
Stories are told in “understood plural” to hide the gender of the Parker.
1. Once upon a time, there was a Parker who told one of their brothers they knew how to drive a stick shift so that the brother would allow this Parker to borrow his car to go out on the town in Lake City. The problem was that this Parker really had no idea WHAT SO EVER how to drive a stick shift. This Parker waited for the brother to go inside before taking off, so the brother would not see this Parker popping the clutch, conking out and grinding the gears on their way out of the driveway. An under-aged family member took over the wheel and drove the car as soon as they were on the road. “If you can’t find ’em, grind ’em!” was the motto for that night. They had never heard so many car horns blowing as they tried to take off from the red-lights in first gear. Lake City was filled with traffic jams that night! The car conked out numerous times as it begged for mercy! This Parker is also known for always having a stash in the house while growing up. If any of this Parker’s siblings were missing something, they always checked this stash first. This Parker was a collector of things, whether these things belonged to them or someone else. This Parker is also known for planning amazing trips and getting the most for their money and making every single second count.
The name of this Parker is Tammy Sue!
2. Once upon a time, there was a Parker who was a fantastic story teller. The kids were mesmerized by this Parker’s amazing stories and hung on their every word! This Parker told the stories at night in a dark room, and the only thing the kids could see was the glow of this person’s cigarette as they waved it through the smoke-filled room. The kids were in awe of this Parker’s creativity and thought of this Parker as the coolest of the cool! Years later, one of the grands figured out that the fantastic stories this person told were actually Star Trek episodes. This person remains to be the coolest of the cool! After all, using Star Trek episodes to thrill the minds of bored youngins’ in the rural area of Hebron, South Carolina, was rather ingenious! This Parker is one of the organizers of the family and is credited with the term “Parkerfest” which started a tradition that has lasted for over thirty years! This Parker led the way for making many wonderful memories with family that will forever be in our hearts!
The name of this Parker is William Watson!
3. Once upon a time, this Parker was kind enough to drive Grandma Parker and Aunt Billie to Columbia to visit a family member. The jammed pack car was filled with siblings and excited grandchildren who were sitting in each other’s laps. Needless to say, this Parker who took on this task and had little driving experience, had their hands full. This Parker did an awesome job getting everybody there in about two hours; however, once it became dark, the situation changed. This Parker became lost. No matter which direction this person went, they ended up in front of the state capital…over and over and over again. This Parker was to the point of tears! Everyone had an opinion about which way to go and what to do. This poor 16 year old tried every one of the frantic suggestions made…only to end up… once again… in front of that dang state capital. Five and half hours later, they finally made it home. That trip was filled with laughter, tears, and fears, but this young Parker became a true hero (or herione) that night!
The name of this Parker is Ronald Alexander!
4. Once upon a time, this Parker talked their sibling into playing in the boxcars of a train that would park near their house. These two Parkers did this regularly and enjoyed romping around, on top of, and inside of the boxcars as they played their childhood games. One time while taking this adventurous journey, the train started moving. One of the Parkers jumped off immediately, but the other Parker was too scared to jump. The grounded Parker yelled, “Jump! Jump! You better jump NOW!” The train began gaining speed, and the other Parker became more and more afraid of jumping. The grounded Parker was frantic to say the least, and ran after the train realizing that this sibling would be gone forever. The Parker on the train would not jump! With a broken heart, the grounded Parker waved and yelled, “Bye-bye! Bye-bye!” The frightened Parker finally found the courage to jump, and the grounded Parker was so relieved that they didn’t have to go home and tell their mama that one of her children was gone forever.
The name of the grounded Parker is Donald Malory!
5. Once upon a time, there was a Parker who was always climbing on anything they could see! This Parker’s climbing adventures were rather harmless until the day they climbed onto the only dresser in the house that had a mirror. This Parker broke the mirror during their climb and showed the broken mirror to one of their siblings. The sibling ran to their mama and told her that the climbing Parker was going to have to run away because Daddy was going to kill this Parker when he found out what they had done. The sibling decided to run away with the climbing Parker because this Parker couldn’t make it out there in this big world alone. So, Grandma said she understood and packed some food for the two youngsters. The two little ones were grateful for the food. They packed some clothes and took off down the road as they escaped for their lives! After walking an ENTIRE quarter of a mile, the youngsters were famished and stopped to eat and regain their strength. After they felt full and rested, they began walking again, realizing that they could no longer see their long lost home. Although they were terrified, they bravely traveled farther and farther away from their once beloved home. As they rounded a curve on the road, they saw a stranger and took off running like wildfire toward the safe and loving arms of their mama. Grandma had never taken her eyes off of her babies, but they didn’t know that at the time. One thing they did know was that it was the longest one hour trip they had ever experienced during their whole six years on this earth, and they were so very happy to finally be home.
The name of the climbing Parker is Mary Annette!
6. Once upon a time, there was a Parker who enjoyed playing the piano. This Parker would practice and practice until they mastered the piece of music they were working on at the time. They knew how to read notes and took pleasure in achieving the thrilling sounds of music. They shared their music with everyone in the house, but they took the most pleasure in playing for their mama as she sang her favorite hymns. It became a tradition for these two to share moments at the piano making precious memories with some of Grandma’s most beloved songs. This person would also sit in the fields under the hot sun for long periods of time, just staring into the sky. This Parker would actually lose track of time as they embraced the sky. Losing track of time was something that followed this Parker into adulthood. In fact, while on a vacation, the siblings waited and waited for this Parker in the downstairs lobby. After an hour, he finally came down. “Where have you been?” they asked. This Parker replied, “I’m not sure. I’ve lost an hour of my life, and I don’t know where it went!”
The name of this Parker is Bobby Ingram!
7. Once upon a time, there was a Parker who had no sense of direction in any way, shape, or form. This Parker ordered some coffee at a drive-thru window, and became extremely confused when the attendant replied, “We not serve coffee here. This is dry cleaner. You in wrong place. We not McDonald’s!” This person also has a shirt that says, “I’ve gone to find myself. If I return before I get back, please keep me here!” This Parker has also been injured many times by doing adventurous types of activities, such as jumping off bridges and playing with snakes large enough to swallow them! One night, this Parker saw what seemed to be a UFO and ran yelling at the top of their lungs, “Take me! Take me! I want to go!” This person embraces any opportunity for new experiences…no matter how “alien” they may seem to be…and never gives up on trying to make the most out of life.
The name of this Parker is Judy Olivia!
8. Once upon a time, this Parker was always into something and looking for adventure of some kind. Some were the kind of adventures you would enjoy with wonder and excitement, while other adventures were the kind that could get you into a lot of trouble; however, there was always something going on…good or bad….while you were with this Parker. At the age of six, this Parker believed they could fly as long as they had enough height and wore a cape. Excited to share this new found realization, this Parker convinced one of their siblings to climb a loft, stand on a small cross-tie and jump off. The two went down in a whirlwind of glory as their handmade capes failed to keep them suspended in the air. They were both scraped up a little, and this Parker got a real good whippin’ for attempting such a dangerous act. This Parker admits that they deserved it. In fact, this Parker claims that they never got a whippin’ they didn’t truly deserve! We all admire this Parker’s zest for life!
The name of this Parker is Carlton Jr.!
9. Once upon a time, there was a Parker who was TERRIFIED of roosters! The roosters would seek this Parker out and attack their head whenever they had the chance. The mere site of a rooster mortifies this Parker until this day….not only because it was painful, but also because these roosters would mess up one of this Parker’s most treasured possessions…their hair. This Parker always took great pride in caring for their hair. Rarely did you see a hair on their head out of place, but for some reason, the roosters were threatened by this Parker’s crowning glory. They would hop on this Parker’s head and start digging away with their sharp, rigid spurs! Some people thought this Parker was being less than truthful about the attacks until Grandma ran frantically into the house with blood dripping down her face. The rooster had attacked Grandma, and you can guess what they had for supper that night. Yep! Revenge tastes so dang good at times. Some think that these rooster attacks may have affected this Parker’s ability to think clearly at times. All that digging into their scalp may be responsible for this Parker driving like a bat out of hades on the country roads! This Parker would drive in the center of the road, on the left side of the road, and on the right side of the road… whichever side that made it easier to take the curves as fast as possible. This Parker never wasted a moment of time!
The name of this Parker is Connie Dorthea!
10. Once upon a time, a four year old Parker realized they had ten fingers. They counted them over and over again! This Parker just couldn’t believe what they were seeing! This Parker noticed that the brothers and sisters also had ten fingers…each and every one of them! This person was overwhelmed with joy as they shared the exciting news with each sibling. They didn’t understand why the brother and sisters weren’t as thrilled about this new discovery. This Parker became excited about everything and had a way of making even the smallest of things seem grand. This Parker loved giving to others, especially to Grandma. Every time they received a paycheck, they would buy Grandma a little trinklet or precious love gift of some kind. Although they always had a kind and generous nature, this Parker did not mess around when it came to Monopoly. Monopoly was serious business! This Parker had to be the banker and had to win…by any means necessary. Lord help you if you upset this Parker in any way because this Parker’s furry baby would attack you in a heartbeat and guarded this Parker with its life!
The name of this Parker is Lloyd Dallas!
11. Once upon a time, this Parker cried out in agony, “Oh no! Not another one!” when they found out that yet ANOTHER baby was being brought home. This Parker was the one who kept things in order. This person was a pioneer and trail blazer in many ways and modeled how to escape the firm grasp of poverty and rip it from your life. This Parker encouraged each sibling to not only dream but to do something about making their dreams a reality and provided 20/20 vision of how faith, strength, purpose, perseverance and dedication can change your life. This Parker kind of grew up with Grandma in many ways and had many ways like Grandma. If you felt like a nobody, this Parker made you feel like a somebody. If you doubted yourself, this Parker reassured you that you were worth believing in. Most importantly, this Parker always made you feel loved. Although this Parker’s many material gifts and special treats to the widowed mother and her children were greatly needed and even more appreciated, it was the time this Parker spent with each loved one and this person’s ever inspiring spirit that were the greatest gifts of all. Even those in our family who do not know this Parker are affected by this person because this Parker planted a seed of hope and inspiration into each of the brothers and sisters from whom all of us came in some way or married to someone affected by this Parker. What a blessed family we are! Grandma is smiling on us now and saying what she always said at the end of the day, “Thank you Lord for another good day!”
Bill’s endless hours of work scanning pictures and getting video on his computer will finally pay off now that we have a site to feature our old family videos. We plan to have a video and picture archived here on the official Parkerfest site by the end of the year.
This year the new generation experienced what it is like to be beat by the new “Old Man Team.” How things change in 29 years, and yet stay the same:
1) Brad as a 20-something: I could play volleyball and drink beer all day! As a 40-something: Is that volleyball net a little high?
2) Charlie as an elementary school student: I sure wish they would let me play with the adults! As an almost 40 year old: I hope I can move well enough to teach tomorrow.
3) Matt as a teenager: Hadn’t joined the family yet. Matt as a 40-something: They had Parkerfest how many times now and I’ve lived through it?
4) Duane as a 20-something: I am so hot and such a stud! Duane as a 50-something: I am so hot and such a stud!
It is official! The Next Generation of Parkers have stepped up to form the new Parkerfest 2020 Team!
It was an impromptu meeting spawned by excited cousins getting together by the pool at the old Days Inn in Lake City the night before the big Saturday event at this year’s Parkerfest, but it was exactly what we needed to revive the yearly tradition of Parkerfest.
The Next Generation grew up with Parkerfest to look forward to every summer, and this was a tradition they didn’t want to see die out. They were up late into the night discussing plans for how they could bring back Parkerfest with many of the old traditions while also adding their own spin to the event.
Dana and Kevin have officially taken on the role of Team Leaders, and Jeannie remains on board as the Communications Expert and now, with her creation of Parkerfest.com, the Webmaster. It will take many hands working together to make Parkerfest 2020 a success, so please stay tuned for information on how to get involved. We will definitely be reaching out to folks to do jobs!
