Hazel Parks

PENDERGRASS – Mrs. Hazel Dean Bradley Parks, 86, one of the last female veterans of World War II in Jackson County, died Thursday, August 20, 2009.

Mrs. Parks was a United States Navy veteran, having served in the WAVES at Pensacola, Fla., as an aviation machinist mate. She was honorably discharged in 1945 with the rank of Third Class Petty Officer.

Her husband, A.G. “Buster” Parks Jr., was serving in the United States Army at the time.

She was born on August 20, 1923, in Central, S.C., the daughter of the late J.P. Bradley, Lessie Carroll and Clint Boone. Mrs. Parks attended Commerce Elementary School and graduated from Maysville High School and Perry Business School, Gainesville. She was a long-time correspondent for The Jackson Herald, worked as a seamstress, a U.S. Census taker and spent most of her years as a homemaker. Mrs. Parks was a member of the Holly Springs United Methodist Church and her hobbies included quilting with her friends at church, flower gardening, bird watching, sewing, and reading.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years; a sister, Bonnie Ferguson; and grandson, James Arthur Patrick.
Survivors include daughters and sons-in-law, Guy Dean and Jimmy Benson, Jefferson, Andrea and Mark Tjepkema, Meta and Steve Hages, and Celestine and Donald Vaughn, all of Pendergrass, Paula and Wayne Price, Hoschton; sisters-in-law, Jean and Denver Savage, and Betty Parks; many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews also survive.

Funeral services will be held Saturday, August 22, at 10 a.m., from the Holly Springs United Methodist Church with the Revs. Bob Lewis, Johnny Ray, Steve Pierce, Mark Tjepkema and Tom Fish officiating. Matt Benson will give the eulogy. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be Matthew Benson, Andrew Benson, Reece Westbrook, Joshua Watson, Kane Davis, Rodney Davis, Jacob Davis and Mark Price. Members of the Jackson County EMS Station 5 will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Flowers are optional and memorials may be made to the Holly Springs United Methodist Church, 7441 Holly Springs Rd., Pendergrass, GA 30567, or Compassionate Hospice, 1435 Haw Creek Circle, Suite 402, Cumming, GA 30041. The family will receive friends at the funeral home Friday, August 21, from 4 to 7 p.m.

Evans Funeral Home, Jefferson, is in charge of