A Very Full House...

Grace Cleo Parker was born in Eureka Springs Arkansas on December 21, 1893. Her mother, Mollie Davis was quite a character, married 4-5 times and working at various times as a cook at a UPRR camp, a waitress at a dance hall, a bootlegger, and a streetcar conductor. Mollie married Will Parker and the couple moved with Grace to Oklahoma in a covered wagon. In about 1909, Will was out of the picture and Mollie and Grace moved to Cheyenne. There Grace met and married Sgt. Tandy Parks Brown and they took up residence at Fort D.A. Russell.
After Vivian, Anna and Tandy were born, the Army decided Tandy must resign. He had too many children! In the ensuing years, Roy, June, Betty, Leah, Frank, Leonard, Stuart, Charles, Nancy, Dick, Dolfe, Pat, Sandy and Mike were born. In 1954, Grace, most deservedly, won Wyoming "Mother of the Year"! Grace and Tandy went to New York for the National Conference and stayed at the Waldorf Astoria. She was eventually selected as Second Runner up for "National Mother of the Year". On the way home, she appeared on Art Linkletter's Radio Show. Quite an adventure!
Education was very important to her. Even though she didn't get to get much schooling herself, she made it clear to all of her children that college was in their future. Grace was a strong willed, intelligent and capable woman and also kind and gentle. She was a wonderful cook and could always be counted on for a meal or a word of encouragement.