AUDREY MAXINE PARKER

June 8, 1931 ~ October 29, 2010

Maxine Villines was born in Ralston, Oklahoma to Floyd and Gladys Villines, June 8th, 1931. At the age of five Maxine, her siblings and parents moved from Oklahoma to California and settled in Planada. She attended Planada Elementary and Le Grand High School. After her high school days, Maxine took a job with Pacific Telephone and worked in Merced. While working at the phone company she met George M. Parker of Chowchilla, and the two of them were married on April 4th, 1953 and were together for over fifty-seven wonderful years.

The young Parker couple settled originally in Merced, with George working for the Sunbeam Bread Company and Maxine continuing her employment with Pacific Telephone. In 1955, the couple moved to Chowchilla so that George could open Farmer's Hardware, and Maxine could be a stay at home mother to their only child, Sam. In 1960, the young couple ventured back to Merced to open Parker's Hardware which is still in business today. George and Maxine became involved with numerous groups within the community and have remained active with civic and community affairs up to present times. With twenty-three years of service to Pacific Telephone, Maxine has been an active member of Chapter 29 of Pacific Bell Pioneer's. No surprise to those who know her, her greatest joy was retiring to allow her the opportunity to nurture and spoil her four grandchildren and her three great grandchildren.

Family was first and foremost for Maxine. She was the matriarch for both the Villines and Parker families. She loved her parents and siblings tremendously and worked extremely hard to keep all her brothers, sisters, and in-laws close together in a tight knit family atmosphere. She managed the Parker side with a flair and love that showed how unselfish she was; her family came first and she loved her family with a passion and pride that all her friends came to know and respect. She was the most loving, caring wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and in-law that any individual could have.

Maxine was preceded in death by her parents, Floyd and Gladys Villines, her brothers Kenneth, Conard, William and Howard Villines, along with her sister Margaret Villines. She is survived by her husband George Parker of Merced, her son Sam Parker and his wife Kimber of Atwater, along with her step-grandchildren, Andrew Leverett, Alexis Leverett and Dustin Bowers; her grandson Derek Parker, wife Kimberly and their two boys Aiden and Bret of Rocklin, California; her granddaughter Lindsay Marsh, her husband Jeremy and their son Gunnar of Woodland, California; grandson Alex Parker and his wife Jamie of San Marcos, California; and granddaughter Sarah Parker of Merced. Maxine also will be missed by her surviving siblings; Sonny Villines and his wife Joni of Clovis, California, Joan Dickenson and her husband George of Le Grand, California, Mae Egan of Tangent, Oregon, Jean Brown and her husband Vince of Licking, Missouri, and Beverly Ewing of Boise, Idaho, along with all their children, their spouses and their children.

There were so many wonderful people who both touched Maxine's life and had their's touched by her, and Maxine would like to recognize these three special extended family members; Susan Lazdins and her husband Andy of Tracy, California; Janice Donnelly-Parker and her husband Holland Myers of Sacramento, California; Deb Toland and her husband Wes of Merced, California.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Luke's Anglican Church Building Fund, 350 W. Yosemite Ave., Merced, CA 95348. A memorial service will be held Saturday, November 6, 2010 at 1:00 P.M. at St. Luke's Anglican Church. Private internment will be held at the Episcopal Conference Center in Oakhurst, California.

Arrangements are entrusted to Whitton Family Funeral Service in Merced.