Ruth E. (Beardsley) Parker, 86, of Great Bend, and formerly of New York, N.Y., passed away on Sunday morning, Dec. 1, at Great Bend Regional Hospital. Born April 26, 1927, in Auburn, N.Y., she was the daughter of Theodore R. and Ruth E. (Burden) Beardsley. On Aug. 12, 1953, she was united in marriage to Donald H. Parker at Skaneateles, N.Y. The couple made their home in Syracuse, N.Y. Prior to her retirement she became interested in genealogy and worked on her ancestry for over 35 years. She traveled and enjoyed going to where her ancestors had lived.
Mrs. Parker belonged to many genealogical and historical societies, including, NSDAR Comfort Tyler Chapter and NSDAC Moses Dewitt Chapter, both of Syracuse, N.Y.; NSDF&P Early Frontier New York Chapter; Family of Bruce International Inc.; Colonial Order of the Crown; Magna Charta Dames & Barons; Plantagenet Society; and Stratford Historical Society, Curtis’s Family. She was a charter member of the World War II Memorial and a contributor to the Korean War Monument, both in Washington, D.C., and Veterans Memorial Park in her native city of Auburn, N.Y.
Survivors include two sons, Donald T. and wife, Leslie Parker, of Cincinnati, Ohio, and David H. and his fiancé, Pam Stiles, of Great Bend; one sister-in-law, Grace Cuddeback; a stepsister and many paternal cousins. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Donald H. Parker, one brother, Howard R. Beardsley and his wife; one half-brother, Theodore R. Beardsley Jr.; one stepbrother; her aunt, Rhoda (Burden) Flinn and her husband Norman W. Flinn Sr.; and their children, Dorothy Louise Flinn and Lt. Col. Norman W. Flinn Jr. USMC (Ret.).
Private burial will be held at Lakeview Cemetery in Fleming, N.Y. There will be no local service or visitation. The family suggests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be directed to The Beardsley Fund, Stratford Historical Soceity, PO Box 382, Stratford, CT 06615-0382 or The Baker Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. Online condolences may be left for the family and a complete obituary may be viewed at http://www.charterfunerals.com/obituary/chgb.

Funeral arrangements provided by
Charter Funerals*
2115 Washington St.
Great Bend, KS 67530
Great Bend (Kan.) Tribune, Dec. 6, 2013