John Thomas Parish (1899-1991)	Ruth Ann Harvey (1899-2002)

A History of the Parish Family
Beginning with Thomas Parish of Nayland, Suffolk, England
(1612-1688)
By H1 Ruth Ann Parish, M.D.

John Thomas Parish Sr. was born 18 May, 1899 to Walter Stuart and Nora McCartney Parish, the eldest son. He married 1 January 1925 Ruth Ann Harvey (born 16 August, 1899, died 1 June, 2002), the oldest daughter of Carl Burt Harvey and Lulu Letitia Small Harvey. (The Harvey-Small-Little-Jones genealogy is enumerated in the book, Jones and Related Families, by Carroll Brewster Jones, published privately in Marcellus, Michigan 1951, and reprinted by Higginson Book Company, 148 Washington Street, P.O. Box 778, Salem, MA 01970; phone (978) 745-7170; website www.higginsonbooks.com).

John worked hard on his father's farm from an early age, and didn't attend elementary school for two years after the family moved to Idaho because the nearest elementary school was 4 miles away, in Maroa (named for another Illinois town), too far for a 6 year old to walk. But he was "home-schooled" by his parents until he was 8 years old, at which time he attended Maroa Elementary. He graduated Maroa after 8th grade, and then walked a mile to catch the "school wagon" to Twin Falls High School. In his later High School years, he was trusted with driving the wagon, stabling the horses at the Lincoln School next door. After High School, he enlisted in the Student Army Training Corps during World War I, training at University of Idaho (the war ended a month after his induction). The next Fall he enrolled at the University of Colorado, and the following year transferred to Stanford University, where he paid for his education by waiting tables at one of the girls' dormitories, and graduated Stanford in 1923 with a major in economics and a minor in education. He taught social sciences for 2 years at the High School in Bend, Oregon, then served as principal of the school. He married Ruth Ann Harvey on 1 January, 1925 (a classmate from Maroa Elementary), and said "The school raised my salary $5 per month when I got married". Teaching jobs were plentiful, but paid only $150/month, or $1,350 for a 9-month school year.

They returned to Twin Falls, Idaho and lived on Walter and Nora's farm, also purchasing 40 acres from Mr. and Mrs. Harvey, Ruth (Ann)'s parents. In 1930 they purchased a farm at Hansen, which they lost due to the Depression. They later rented another farm at Hansen, and in 1933 moved to the northwest quarter of his father's original place, which then included 5 quarters. They continued farming successfully, and moved into the town of Twin Falls (189 Filmore St.) in 1951. In 1973 they moved to 508 Butte Drive, on the north side of town. John died 2 May, 1991 in Twin Falls, and Ruth (Ann) died 1 June, 2002 in Twin Falls. They are both interred at the Twin Falls Cemetery. Both had wonderful senses of humor, and laughter at their house was plentiful.

Children of John Thomas Parish (Sr.) and Ruth Ann Harvey:

G1 John Thomas Parish Jr., born 17 July, 1926; married 29 December, 1948 Erma Jean Parsons, born 11 October, 1926 in Zillah, Washington, died 15 June, 2006 in Yuma, AZ.
H1 Ruth Ann Parish, born 24 January, 1951 in Myrtle Point, Oregon; married 8 May, 1976 David Paplow.

H2 John Thomas Parish III, born 5 November, 1954 in Franklin, Indiana; married 27 August, 1990 Mary Beth "Bo" Watson.

H3 Marilyn Diane Parish, born 26 May, 1958 in Indianapolis, Indiana; partnered with Michelle Reece on 14 February, 1987.

G2 Robert Stuart Parish, born 4 September, 1930 in Twin Falls, Idaho; married Mary Phyllis Ruth Hill, born 23 February, 1936 in Nez Perce, Idaho.

G3 Barbara Ann Parish, born 7 December, 1936 in Twin Falls, Idaho; married 6 August, 1959. Roger Franklin Davidson, born 27 August, 1937 in Oregon.

The Baldridge Family History is a project of Carol M. Gillespie, D.D.S. You can contact Carol at: CGillespi2@aol.com. Please enter a Subject of Baldridge Genealogy, to help us separate your message from spam. The HTML version was created by Eric Davis.