Lorraine Margaret Parsons

Lorraine Margaret Kelley Parsons passed away Thursday, January 18, 2018, at the age of 87. She was the only child of John Henry Kelley Tucker of Santa Clara, California and Hazel Margaret Garner of Hanford, California. Lorraine was born in San Francisco, California, but within three days came to the 160 acre Garner family farm on Elder Avenue in Hanford. This property belonged to her grandfather, Grant Garner, who to this day remains Kings County’s longest serving County Supervisor.

Lorraine grew up in Hanford and spent much of her time on the Garner family farm. Lorraine’s mother divorced and then re-married, that union providing her with a half-brother, Bernard Catron.

Lorraine’s mother passed away when Lorraine was 15 years old. From that time until she went away to college she was raised by her uncle and aunt, Clarence and Anne Garner. This was a hard period for her but she developed especially strong ties and an appreciation for her extended family during this time. Her grandfather encouraged her to finish her education, which she did. She earned a Baccalaureate degree from California State College, Fresno, in 1953. Sadly, her grandfather passed away just months before she graduated and married.

Lorraine married Robert Parsons in Hanford on June 28, 1953. Robert also felt her education to be important and so their marriage occurred right after Lorraine graduated. They chose to stay on the Parsons family farm and Robert designed and built their home on the property. They had four boys: Glen, Neil, Brent, and Eric. Lorraine enjoyed crafts, reading, cooking, playing with her one or two cats she always had around over the years, and nothing more than helping her sons and their families, and encouraging and helping her grandchildren in their interests.

Lorraine sought to follow her Savior Jesus Christ, and so joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1963. Over the years she served in the church fulfilling many church callings which involved her boys, including cub scouting and working in the Primary organization. She also enjoyed working in the Young Women’s organization and in the Relief Society. Some of her final church service was in the Fresno Temple where she felt her faith strengthened even more.

For many years Lorraine had a career as an educator. After graduating from college, she taught at Riverdale High School and then Laton High School. After taking off about 12 years to raise her boys, she returned to education teaching second grade, then first grade, and then kindergarten at Kings River – Hardwick School and then Armona Elementary School. She enjoyed teaching small children and felt the calling to get these young lives excited about learning. She touched many, many lives and always enjoyed running into her prior kindergarten students, who are now adults. These conversations usually started with, “Hey, Mrs. Parsons, do you remember me?” In her 60’s she retired but even then could not put away her joy of teaching small children and returned for a few years to teach pre-school children at Pioneer Elementary School in Grangeville.

Lorraine is preceded in death by her husband, Robert Parsons, who she lovingly cared for the years prior to his passing in his struggle with Parkinson’s disease; and two sons, Neil Parsons and Eric Parsons. She is survived by two sons; Glen Parsons and his wife Su-Jren (Sandy) Yen of Hanford, and Brent Parsons and his wife Janine Sorensen of Hanford; and wife of Neil Parsons, Tammy Strawn of Pleasant Grove. Lorraine has 14 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.

A Memorial Service will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at 2400 N. 11th Avenue, Hanford, CA 93230 on Tuesday, January 30, 2018, at 11:00 a.m.