Block, Upload, Automoderated users, edit, move, protect, rollback
57,799
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
{{Infobox officeholder
|name=Eugene M. "Gene" Parker
|image=
|birth_date=October 17, 1939
|birth_place=Franklin Parish<br>[[Louisiana]], USA
|death_date=November 2, 2018 (aged 79)
|death_place=[[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], Louisiana
|religion=[[Baptist]]
|spouse=Marilyn Hester Parker (married 1962-2018, his death)
|children=Mike Parker<br>
Jane Parker Biggs<br>
Scott Parker
|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]
|office=[[Sheriff]] of Franklin Parish, Louisiana
|term_star=1972
|term_end=1996
|preceded=
|succeeded=[[Steve Pylant]]
}}
'''Eugene M. Parker''', known as '''Gene Parker''' (October 17, 1939 – November 2, 2018), was a [[Democrat Party|Democrat]] who served from 1972 to 1996 as the [[sheriff]] of Franklin Parish in northeastern [[Louisiana]]. His time as sheriff coincided with the administrations of [[Governor]]s [[Edwin Edwards]], [[David C. Treen]], and [[Buddy Roemer]].
A son of George O. Parker, Sr., and the former Katie Mae Lupo, Parker graduated in 1957 from Winnsboro High School in the parish seat of Winnsboro. From 1959 to 1962, he served in the [[United States Army]]. After working for an ice cream company, he became a police officer in [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], at which he worked his way to the rank of [[detective]]. In 1969, he joined the Louisiana State Police and became a sergeant of the [[narcotics]] agents known as the "Dirty Dozen." He resigned from the state police after two years to run in 1971 as sheriff of Franklin Parish. His victories for fourth, fifth, and sixth terms were the first ever for a Franklin Parish sheriff. After leaving the sheriff's office, he was a warden at the Tensas Detention Center and operated a business, the Providence Memorial Cemetery.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thenewsstar/obituary.aspx?n=eugene-parker-gene&pid=190657946|title=Eugene "Gene" Parker|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|accessdate=November 5, 2018}}</ref>
In the 1987 primary for sheriff, Parker won his fifth term with 65.3 percent of the vote. In 1991, however, he was forced into a runoff election and barely defeated his fellow Democrat, "Dewey" Donnell, 51.4 to 48.6 percent. Donnell had even led in the first round of balloting, 49.1 to 45.3 percent. In 1995, Parker did not run for a seventh term, and [[Steve Pylant]] defeated three rivals to become the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] to serve as sheriff of Franklin Parish.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Franklin Parish Election Returns, 1987, 1991, and 1995.</ref>
During his tenure as sheriff, Parker sought to designate funding to purchase a vehicle known as the "Jaws of Life" to assist in the rescue of persons involved in [[automobile]] and [[farming] accidents. He established a substance abuse program. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Northeast Louisiana Substance Abuse Clinic. He was instrumental in the development of the parish 9-11 program. he also convinced parish voters to approve a one-cent [[sales tax]] to fund the construction of the Franklin Parish Detention Center, which opened in 1992.<ref name=obit/>
Parker married the former Marilyn Hester, a daughter of Clark and Martha Hester. The couple had three children, Mike Parker and wife Kim of Gilbert, Louisiana; Jane Biggs and husband Billy of Columbia in Caldwell Parish, and Scott Parker and wife Becky of Crowville, also in Franklin Parish. Parker died at the age of seventy-nine. Services to be held on November 6, 2018, at Temple [[Baptist]] Church in Winnsboro. Among his honorary pallbearers are the retired Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice Chet Traylor, current Sheriff Kevin Wayne Cobb, and [[Jeff Britt]], former sheriff of Tensas Parish, also in northeastern Louisiana.<ref name=obit/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Eugene}}
[[Category:Louisiana People]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:Democrats]]
[[Category:Baptists]]
[[Category:United States Army]]
Created page with " {{Infobox officeholder |name=Eugene M. "Gene" Parker |image= |birth_date=October 17, 1939 |birth_place=Franklin Parish<br>Louisiana, USA |death_date=November 2, 2018 (ag..."
{{Infobox officeholder
|name=Eugene M. "Gene" Parker
|image=
|birth_date=October 17, 1939
|birth_place=Franklin Parish<br>[[Louisiana]], USA
|death_date=November 2, 2018 (aged 79)
|death_place=[[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], Louisiana
|religion=[[Baptist]]
|spouse=Marilyn Hester Parker (married 1962-2018, his death)
|children=Mike Parker<br>
Jane Parker Biggs<br>
Scott Parker
|party=[[Democratic Party|Democrat]]
|office=[[Sheriff]] of Franklin Parish, Louisiana
|term_star=1972
|term_end=1996
|preceded=
|succeeded=[[Steve Pylant]]
}}
'''Eugene M. Parker''', known as '''Gene Parker''' (October 17, 1939 – November 2, 2018), was a [[Democrat Party|Democrat]] who served from 1972 to 1996 as the [[sheriff]] of Franklin Parish in northeastern [[Louisiana]]. His time as sheriff coincided with the administrations of [[Governor]]s [[Edwin Edwards]], [[David C. Treen]], and [[Buddy Roemer]].
A son of George O. Parker, Sr., and the former Katie Mae Lupo, Parker graduated in 1957 from Winnsboro High School in the parish seat of Winnsboro. From 1959 to 1962, he served in the [[United States Army]]. After working for an ice cream company, he became a police officer in [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]], at which he worked his way to the rank of [[detective]]. In 1969, he joined the Louisiana State Police and became a sergeant of the [[narcotics]] agents known as the "Dirty Dozen." He resigned from the state police after two years to run in 1971 as sheriff of Franklin Parish. His victories for fourth, fifth, and sixth terms were the first ever for a Franklin Parish sheriff. After leaving the sheriff's office, he was a warden at the Tensas Detention Center and operated a business, the Providence Memorial Cemetery.<ref name=obit>{{cite web|url=https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thenewsstar/obituary.aspx?n=eugene-parker-gene&pid=190657946|title=Eugene "Gene" Parker|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|accessdate=November 5, 2018}}</ref>
In the 1987 primary for sheriff, Parker won his fifth term with 65.3 percent of the vote. In 1991, however, he was forced into a runoff election and barely defeated his fellow Democrat, "Dewey" Donnell, 51.4 to 48.6 percent. Donnell had even led in the first round of balloting, 49.1 to 45.3 percent. In 1995, Parker did not run for a seventh term, and [[Steve Pylant]] defeated three rivals to become the first [[Republican Party|Republican]] to serve as sheriff of Franklin Parish.<ref>Louisiana Secretary of State, Franklin Parish Election Returns, 1987, 1991, and 1995.</ref>
During his tenure as sheriff, Parker sought to designate funding to purchase a vehicle known as the "Jaws of Life" to assist in the rescue of persons involved in [[automobile]] and [[farming] accidents. He established a substance abuse program. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Northeast Louisiana Substance Abuse Clinic. He was instrumental in the development of the parish 9-11 program. he also convinced parish voters to approve a one-cent [[sales tax]] to fund the construction of the Franklin Parish Detention Center, which opened in 1992.<ref name=obit/>
Parker married the former Marilyn Hester, a daughter of Clark and Martha Hester. The couple had three children, Mike Parker and wife Kim of Gilbert, Louisiana; Jane Biggs and husband Billy of Columbia in Caldwell Parish, and Scott Parker and wife Becky of Crowville, also in Franklin Parish. Parker died at the age of seventy-nine. Services to be held on November 6, 2018, at Temple [[Baptist]] Church in Winnsboro. Among his honorary pallbearers are the retired Louisiana Supreme Court Associate Justice Chet Traylor, current Sheriff Kevin Wayne Cobb, and [[Jeff Britt]], former sheriff of Tensas Parish, also in northeastern Louisiana.<ref name=obit/>
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Parker, Eugene}}
[[Category:Louisiana People]]
[[Category:Politicians]]
[[Category:Democrats]]
[[Category:Baptists]]
[[Category:United States Army]]