Phyllis Jean (Jackson) Parkes

Phyllis Jean (Jackson) Parkes, age 89, passed away on June 29, 2018 at Bloomington, IU Health Hospital. She was born April 5, 1929 near Bloomfield and was the daughter of Homer and Esta (Baker) Jackson. She was a member of the Furnace Christian Church since the age of 12 where she was pianist and Sunday school teacher for many years. After the church closed, she changed her membership to Antioch Christian Church. In Rebekah Lodge #595, she served as musician and district musician. She worked at REMC in the late 1940’s for almost five years and retired from NWSC Crane in 1989 where she was a secretary for 22 years. She held offices in the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, being president for nine years. She was Girl Scout organizer and troop leader for 15 years and Hospice volunteer for nine years. Having a natural talent for music, she started playing piano at an early age. She shared her musical talent at more than 40 churches, taught piano to 15 students, and played for weddings and funerals. She took care of family members who were elderly or sick. Survivors are daughters Donna DeGott of Bloomfield and Patti Parkes of Bloomington; granddaughters, Samantha and Nancy DeGott. Extended family is a niece, Dixie (Lowder) Patterson (Terry) and Jennifer of Bloomington and Chris Patterson (Sonja), Jack and Eric of Oregon, Wisconsin. Other relatives dear to her heart surviving from the Parkes families are: Susan (Parkes) Roberts of Bloomington; Joe and Naomi Parkes of Oolitic; Don & Ellen Parkes of Front Royal, Virginia; Mary Lester of Indianapolis; Helen Parkes of Oaktown; Barbara Parkes, Teresa Parkes Vandeventer, and Nellie Ann Wilcoxen of Bloomfield; and also many Parkes nieces and nephews. Phyllis was preceded in death by her husband of 27 years, Robert Parkes, on June 23, 1981. She was also preceded in death by her son-in-law, Albert DeGott on February 22, 2014, and two sisters and their husbands, Dorothy (Jackson) Gillett (George), and Paulena (Jackson) Lowder (Robert). The Service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Friday, July 6, 2018 at the First Christian Church of Bloomfield with Pastor George Sites officiating. Interment will be at Walnut Grove Cemetery. Friends may call at the First Christian Church for visitation from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 5 and 1:00 p.m. until the hour of service on Friday. The family asks that memorial contributions may be made to The American Heart Association.

Phyllis Jean (Jackson) Parkes

April 5, 1929 - June 29, 2018