Louise Marie (Gransbury) Parker

Louise Marie Gransbury Parker born September 4, 1926, to Blanche Marie Cole and Orval Howard Gransbury, died July 10, 2022. She was the oldest of the four surviving children of Blanche and Orval. Two brothers, Donald and Howard died as infants after she was born. Her parents moved their young family to a farm south of Declo, Idaho. There the family grew to include two brothers, Jack and Keith and a sister Dorothy.

Shortly after the birth of Dorothy, their father died of kidney problems at 34 years of age. Louise was 9 years old. Her widowed mother and four small children moved into a tiny house near Louise’s maternal grandparents, HM and Sarah Marie Cole, just outside of Rupert, Idaho.

After graduating from Rupert High School, she attended Albion State Teachers College. Once she completed five terms at Albion, she started teaching. Her first teaching job was a class of 44 fourth graders in Richfield, Idaho. At the time Louise was not quite 20 years old. To be closer to home she soon took a teaching position in the fourth grade at Lincoln Elementary School in Rupert.

After moving back to Rupert, she was asked to be the Stake Dance Director, for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Richard (Dick) Parker, who recently returned from the Navy was also a Stake Dance Director. They were married on November 27, 1947, at the home of HM and Sarah Marie Cole, by Dick’s father, David Fay Parker, who at the time was bishop of the Acequia Ward.

Dick and Louise lived in an apartment in Rupert for a few months before moving into a remodeled farmhouse east of Acequia and along the Snake River. On January 19, 1949, they welcomed a son, Richard (Rick) Orval, into their family. Then on November 1, 1952, a daughter, Jayne Louise, was born.

Until Rick was old enough to help on the farm, Louise, helped by raking hay. While raking hay she would write poetry in her mind, putting it on paper later.

When Jayne entered the first grade at Acequia School, Louise renewed her teaching certificate and taught half days for the Acequia sixth grade. She also worked as the secretary for the Acequia School. After this she accepted a full-time secretarial position at Memorial School where she remained until her retirement, May 1992.

They lived on the farm east of Acequia until Rick and Jayne were raised. Then they moved to a house in Rupert.

Her son, Rick, wife, Marilyn, moved their family back to Rupert in 1984. Their children have many fond memories of time with Grandma and Grandpa Parker, including camping at Stanley Basin, Christmases, Thanksgiving dinners, trick-or-treating at Halloween, or just going to the house after school.

Her husband, Dick, died in 2006. They were married for almost 59 years. After Dick died, her daughter, Jayne, watched over her daily.

Louise was also preceded in death by her mother, Blanche, her brothers, Donald, Howard, Jack, Keith Gransbury, her sister, Dorothy Gransbury Wall and a grandson, Justus Moroni Parker.  She is survived by her son, Rick, his wife, Marilyn, daughter, Jayne, seven grandchildren, 29 great-grandchildren, three great-great-grandchildren.

She will always be remembered as Grandma Parker. The grandmother who could mend jeans, garden, write poetry, camp, fix hurts, quilt and enjoyed reading.

The family appreciates the kind and gentle care provided by the nurses and doctors at Minidoka Memorial Hospital, the last few days of her life.

Graveside services will be held 10:00 a.m. Friday, July 15, 2022, at the Rupert Cemetery 450 N. Meridian Road. Services are under the direction of Joel Heward Hansen Mortuary.

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