Nannie Gray Parks, a public spirited citizen who ably occupied various positions of local trust, was known throughout Southern Illinois as a leading and successful librarian, historian, and genealogist. Her lifetime of collecting and researching information is a recognized legacy and will be as long as there are people who are interested in Southern Illinois and the individuals who made its history.

Mrs. Parks never wrote a book, but her research provided information for the many that did publish during her lifetime and have since her death.

A lifetime resident of Marion, Illinois, Mrs. Parks’ interest and involvement in library affairs, and the history of Williamson County and area, began long before she graduated from Christian College, Columbia, Missouri; before she married Roscoe A. Parks, May 4, 1904; and before she was seated on the Marion Carnegie Library Board of Directors, July 1, 1916, where she served in various positions until resigning June 1, 1922 to attend classes at the University of Illinois in the Library Science Department.

Officially, Mrs. Parks had a romantic affair with the Marion Carnegie Library for 43 years, except for those three summer months in 1922, when she attended the university, thus extending her own ability to serve the library. Mrs. Parks did fulfill the academic requirements, over a period of time, to qualify as a professional librarian.

Mrs. Parks served as acting librarian from July 1 through September 5, 1921 until that position could be filled. Again, Mrs. Parks was called upon to assist the librarian, Miss Vilda Beem, from March 8, 1922, until Mrs. Parks resigned to attend library science classes. In the meantime, Miss Beem resigned, and on September 4, 1922, Nannie Gray Parks assumed the duties of librarian and would serve in that position a total of 37 years, until ill health forced her resignation April 1, 1959.

As librarian and as a member of a committee set up by the library board to investigate and collect “relics” of historical significance, she was able to write many newspaper articles of historical or genealogical interest and to develop a pictorial map of early settlement in Williamson County, Illinois, for the County’s Centennial in 1939.

She was a charter member of the Pioneer Daughters of Williamson County, and the Williamson County Historical Society, and a member of the Centennial Committee, 1938-39.

In 1955, the Southern Illinois Library Conference honored her at their annual meeting in Mt. Vernon, for her outstanding work as a librarian and authority on local genealogy.

Nannie Gray Parks died December 29, 1960 in Marion, more than eighty years from the day she was born to Henry and Mary Goodall Gray, on May 24, 1880. At the time of her death, she was survived by her husband; a son, Milo Parks; and two grandsons, Jerry Wesley Parks and Tommy Joe Parks.

Mrs. Nannie Gray Parks’ imprint upon the community of Marion is long-lasting, and she will be found in the annals of the library and the county. ———–Written by Ronald Reed for the 1989 Sesquicentennial History, WCHS

Sam’s Notes:

Nannie’s mother Mary married Henry Gray on December 24, 1862. Henry came from Morgantown, West Virginia.

In the June 1880 census, Nannie Gray was an unnamed female infant who was one month old, daughter to Henry Gray, aged 52, and Mary Ann Goodall, aged 36. Mary was the daughter of Joab Goodall and Nancy Palmer, early settlers to the county. Henry was a farmer and they were living on a farm in Marion Township, which then incorporated most of what is now East and West Marion Township. The Gray farm was located just on the east edge of Marion near the old Creal Springs road. Nannie had two brothers present in the home Joab Gray, aged 16, and John W. Gray, aged 13. The brothers are both listed on the census as farmers.

On February 27, 1882, Henry died and left Nannie’s mother, Mary, a widow. His death record is yet to be found. When the 1900 census was taken the family, minus Henry, were still located on the rural Gray farm. Nannie was 20 and attending school, John W. Gray, 33, was farming and Joab Gray, 36, was serving a term as Williamson County Sheriff. The family had a 30 year old farm laborer by the name of William Pulley living with them.

Nannie married Roscoe A. Parks, May 4, 1904 and they bought a home at 400 E. College Street.

In 1907, a fire destroyed the Gray home where Nannie was born. Nannie’s mother Mary, now 65, moved into a home at 208 E. College St. located behind where the Marion Post office would be later located on E. Main St.  

In 1910, Mary’s sons are living with her on College Street. Joab Gray was a livestock trader aged 46 and John W. Gray was a self-employed farm manager aged 43. Mary employed a 19 year old house servant named Nora Troutman who lived in the home.

In the 1910 census, Roscoe and Nannie are still at 400 E. College Street. Nannie was active in art and creating china ware using a kiln in her back yard. Roscoe was a cashier for the Citizen’s Trust and Banking Company located in the Goodall Hotel on the square. The couple owned the home but it was mortgaged, like most new couples.

On December 12, 1914, the couple had their first and only child named Milo Parks.

In 1917, with World War I looming, Nannie volunteered to become the Williamson County coordinator for the State Council of Defense, a local effort to organize female volunteers to take part in the war effort.

By the 1920 census, Nannie who was then 39 listed herself as a librarian. Roscoe, 42, had ventured into the operation of a coal mine. Their home was then free of mortgage and they had a roomer renting living space in their home.

In the 1930 census at the start of the depression, coal mine failures have set Roscoe Parks back financially. The couple sold their home at 400 E. College and moved into Nannie’s mother’s home at 208 E. College St.

Roscoe was then operating a business called Park’s Complete Service Station at 401 N. Market Street and Nannie was still a librarian.

Present in the home during the 1930 census are mother Mary, now 85, brother John W. Gray, aged 63, husband Roscoe Parks, aged 52, Nannie, aged 49 and her son Milo, aged 17. Mary valued the home which was owned mortgage free at $4,000.

Mary Goodall Gray passed away at the age of 89 on April 12, 1934.

In the last census available to me which was 1940, Roscoe and Nannie were both in their early sixties and were living alone at 208 E. College St. Roscoe still had his service station and Nannie was still a librarian. They owned the home and they valued it at $3,000. They let space in the home to a fellow librarian by the name of Mildred Burks.

Nannie Gray Parks died December 29, 1960 in Marion followed by Roscoe A. Parks on September 18, 1968. Both are interred at Rose Hill Cemetery.

Nannie and Roscoe’s son Milo Parks passed away on 22 September 1992. Both his son’s Tom and Jerry Parks still reside in Marion as of this writing in 2013.

According to Jerry Parks, Nannie’s grandson, the home at 208 E. College St. burned down in the 1970’s.

Nannie Parks’ extensive genealogical notes are stored and are open for perusal at the Williamson County Historical Society.

Back to the top

(Data from Federal Census Records; Marion City Directories; Marion City Cemetery Records; Article by Ron Reed written for the 1989 Sesquicentennial  History, WCHS; compiled Sam Lattuca on 05/05/2013)