Carolyn Ann Parker

Carolyn Ann Harmon Parker, 81, of Lenoir, died Sunday, February 19, 2017 at Lenoir Healthcare Center. She was born in Iredell County on May 3, 1935 to the late Everette Harold Harmon and Anna Mae Guy Harmon. Carolyn attended Scotts School and graduated from Cool Springs High School. She also graduated from Mitchell College, attended Catawba College and graduated from Lenoir Rhyne College. On August 15, 1958, she married Rev. Marion Joe Parker and they shared over 58 years of marriage before her passing. She was a Public-School teacher and served as an Elementary teacher at Mt. Pleasant, NC, Avery Sherrill in Statesville, Oak Grove in Decatur, GA, and Baton in Granite Falls, NC. She was a member of Trinity United Methodist Church in Lenoir. Her husband is a United Methodist Pastor and she taught in Sunday School at various churches to which he was appointed. Her husband said, "My wife was a seamstress and cook par excellence and she enjoyed serving relatives or other guests in our home. Her needlework, revealed in quilts, wall hangings, ornaments, and table pieces, is of superb quality! She was a genuine Christian, loving wife, mother, and friend. She displayed wisdom and wit in conversation or teaching. She was fond of raising, sharing, and displaying roses. Carolyn was a compassionate, caring person and enjoyed doing nice things for others." Along with her parents, she was preceded in death by a son, Eric Hamilton Parker, and two sisters, Jewell Oxendine and husband Jesse and Julia Van Pelt and husband Jim. Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Joe; a son, Wesley; a brother, Harold Harmon and wife Kathryn of Statesville; a number of nieces and nephews, and a wonderful friend that Carolyn considered a sister, Pat Collins of Lexington, KY. A visitation will be held Friday evening, February 24 from 6:30 until 8:00 PM at Trinity United Methodist Church, 901 Seehorn Street, Lenoir, NC. On Saturday morning, there will also be a visitation from 9:30 until 10:30 AM at Nicholson Funeral Home in Statesville. A graveside worship service will follow at 11:00 AM at Iredell Memorial Gardens with Pastor Uiyeon Kim and Rev. Don Turman officiating. Memorials may be made to the Walker Scholarship Fund in c/o Trinity UMC, 901 Seehorn St. Lenoir, NC 28645 or to Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, 902 Kirkwood St. Lenoir, NC 28645, or to Helping Hands Clinic, 810 Harper Ave. Lenoir, NC 28645. Online condolences may be made to the family at www.nicholsonfunerals.com and Nicholson Funeral Home of Statesville is serving the family of Carolyn Harmon Parker.