ELDER HERVEY I. PARKER, D. D., was born in Vermont in 1812. He inherited from his sturdy, New England parents a strong constitution and received from the constant examples of piety. Until he was twenty he received only six weeks’ schooling in a year, doing farm work the rest of the time. But in 1832-3, he spent six months at Norwich Academy and there developed a thirst for knowledge which led him to take a college course.

He entered Dartmouth in 1835 and at the end of his Sophomore year was appointed principal of the Latin Grammar School at Cambridge. He taught here two years meanwhile completing his Junior year’s work.

In 1839 he entered the Senior class at Harvard, graduating with honors. He then planned to take a theological course, but was pressed to take charge of Needham and Dover Baptist church, and began preaching in ’40 {1840}.

He was ordained in 1842, and soon married Silvia A. Ammidon. Three years after he accepted a call from the church at Burlington, Vermont, remaining there ten years. In 1854 he came to Wisconsin, to aid in establishing the Beaver Dam and Fox Lake schools. Two years later he came to Austin and took charge of the Baptist church. The church grew rapidly and the present building was erected in 1862.

Mrs. Parker died in 1865 and he again married in 1867. In 1872 he was granted a six months’ absence to visit a daughter in California, but never came home to Austin. He preached in various places and died in 1885. His dying message was: "Tell my friends that Christ is mine and that I am going home to be present with Him."

 

Submitted to Mower Genealogy by Darrel K. Waters, Oct. 2006