Descendants of Thomas Bryant Parker and Thomas Ross

Compiled by

ELLA PARKER OGDEN

1965

174 'T' Street

Salt Lake City, Utah

1965

ELLA P. OGDEN

DEDICATION

To my Pioneer Parents and Grandparents.

To my Husband and to my children,

Mary Elizabeth and George Hal, and

To all who have made it possible for me

To live and know the real joys

Of Living.

I lovingly dedicate this book.

ELLA PARKER OGDEN.

Photo 1: Ella Minerva Parker (Ogden)

I am greatly indebted to the following cousins, found through research, correspondence and family records, for assistance on my Faulconer, Nelson, Craig and other lines. They are descendants of grandmother Martha Ann (Nelson) Parker's sister, and half-sister, an uncle and an aunt.

1. Mrs. Mutie H. (Griffin) Darrell, granddaughter of Sarah F. Nelson, sister to grandmother Martha Ann (Nelson) Parker; a very lovely lady who devoted much of her time searching out her ancestry. I regret that Mutie passed away in August 1957 at Macom, Missouri.

2. Mrs. Mary (May) L. (Nelson) Bates, a granddaughter of Aunt Frances (Cloudas ) Stokley; half sister of grandmother Martha Ann (Nelson) Parker. May has given me much of the history and records of descendants of Aunt Frances and Uncle John Stokley's family.

3. Miss Nadine Hodges, great granddaughter of Nelson Faulconer, a brother to my great grandmother Joyce (Faulconer) Nelson, the mother of grandmother, Martha Ann (Nelson) Parker. A very charming lady, she is dedicated to research and last year, 1964, when Velma and I went to the New York fair, we enjoyed a very nice evening with her at our hotel in Kansas City, Mo.

4. Mrs. Martha (Butt) Cheek, great granddaughter of Susannah Faulconer Offutt, sister of Joyce Faulconer Nelson, my great grandmother. I also had a nice visit with- her over the telephone from Louisville to Lexington, Kentucky, her home, and what a pleasure it was to "meet her." She too is very interested in research and is gathering history and genealogy on the Nelson-Faulconer lines.

Each of us are descendants of Joseph Faulconer and Frances Nelson, great grandparents of Daddy, and for whom he was named. We do not know when or why he changed the spelling of the name, but are sure this is correct as we have it in grandmother's, great grandmother's and great great grandmother's and grandfather's handwriting. The above four cousins also have it so.

5. Katherine Craig, a descendant of Capt. John Craig,, advises me that she is publishing a book on our Craig family line which will have considerable additional information.

My sincere thanks to each of you who have helped so willingly in the research on our various lines.

ELLA PARKER OGDEN

FOREWORD

The purpose of this family book is to acquaint all members with the lives and times of ancestors and descendants of Thomas Ross and Thomas Bryant Parker, as far as is known at this time, and to have a combined record of them all.

The work of compiling this book has been a great joy and satisfaction to me. I have loved it all and feel that as a result I know our people intimately. I am proud of my heritage and wish I could have known all of our ancestors more completely. I am sure I would have gained much from their courageous spirits.

The Parkers and the Rosses are not the great of the earth, nor the rich or the mighty. They are the average people, the people who, with foresight, wisdom and might, combined with their faith, have supported all causes for the advancement and good of the people, supported churches, farmed the land, raised the stock, made the music and reared honorable families who have done their part in making America strong.

Many years have been invested in the research of our ancestors, but the record is far from complete. For lack of information, very little can be said of some of them.

Grandfather, Thomas Bryant Parker, born 1797 in Virginia, grew up in a period when that state included a very large area and history was in the making. His record has been extremely difficult to trace, as has that of Great Grandfather John Ross. Settlers were migrating from place to place in search of better lands and also due to Indian trouble. Records were destroyed and many events were never recorded, resulting in very few leads or clues on which to base effective research. However, much has been learned about our ancestors and much has yet to be learned.

I fully realize my inability to accomplish all that should be done to complete a family history that would indeed be "Worthy of all Acceptation," However, I sincerely pray that all of you will seek the Spirit of Elijah and do all m your power to search the records further and have the Temple work accomplished for our progenitors.

"And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers."

D&C 2:2

I express my sincere thanks to the many willing members of the family who have furnished data on their immediate families. There may be repetition of some events or facts as this material appears as it was presented by members of the many families.

I am very appreciative for the help given by family members who were asked to assist in any way in the preparation of this book. Especially do I appreciate those who made possible the printing of the book by collecting the money necessary for its publication.

This record is not entirely complete because some were not too interested and others have just procrastinated, however, it is my fervent hope that this book may be of some value and interest to all who may read it. May it help us to become increasingly aware of the eternity of the family, and may it serve as a humble tribute to the strength and the courage of my ancestors.

ELLA PARKER OGDEN

Descendants of Thomas Bryant Parker and Thomas Ross. 1

MARY ELIZABETH ROSS. 15

JOSEPH FAULKNER PARKER.. 16

THE ORIGINAL PARKERS. 17

OUR LINE OF DESCENT.. 18

SERVICEMEN'S PICTURES. 19