Mary Rose Parks

Parks, Mary Rose (Fremgen) 88, of Mesa, Arizona, entered into rest on January 1, 2016. Mary was born in Taylorville, Illinois on January 21, 1927 to Rose and Harry Fremgen. Her mother was a housewife and her father was an Irishman who worked all his life as a coal miner in Central Illinois. Mary had two siblings, Charlie and Lucy, who preceded her in death. The family moved to Springfield, Illinois soon after Mary’s birth where Mary spent her life until she retired. Times were tough during Mary’s youth, as the family was also a victim of the Great Depression. From an early age, Mary wanted to be a nurse and in 1947 she became an RN. In 1948, she started dating Richard (Dick) Parks and they were married in 1949. Mary and Dick had two children, David and Debbie (McQueen), born in 1954 and 1958, respectively. During the 1960’s and 1970’s, the Parks family enjoyed annual trips to the Western States, but their favorite was Arizona. In 1981, Mary and Dick retired and moved to Arizona to be near their two children who had moved to Arizona a few years earlier. They resided in Mesa, AZ during half of the year and the other half in Forest Lakes, AZ in a cabin they had contracted to have built. This was their ultimate dream and their “piece of heaven.” Mary loved the tall pines and spruces along with the daily sightings of wild animals on and near their property. She was especially known for her countless flower beds and thousands of flowers that would bloom daily. People would drive past their property for the purpose of seeing flowers in bloom. Mary leaves behind her husband (Dick), two children Dave (Rosie) of Scottsdale and Debbie McQueen (Doug) of Phoenix and four grandchildren (Jonathan and Courtney Parks and Jason and Michael McQueen). We would like to thank the caring staff of the Courtyard Towers for all of their support this past year. A celebration of Mary’s life will be held at Melcher Mortuary Chapel of the Roses 43 S Stapley Dr., Mesa, AZ. Visitation will begin at 11am with the memorial service being held at noon. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in her memory to either Wounded Warriors Project or St Jude Children’s Hospital.