CHAPTER IX ---- THE PARMINTER FAMILY

[Mike King here:  there is a wonderful family tree document for the Parminter and McDougall families that are related to the King family that was compiled by Debra Parminter of Campbell River, BC Canada, Parminter tree graphic here , McDougall tree graphic here ]

We have only a limited amount of information on the Parminter family. The KING family bible has the following list of birth locations and dates;

John Parminter, Born in England, December 8,1833

Susan E,  [Smith] Parminter, Born in New York, May 4,1839

John 0. Parminter, Born in Illinois,September 1,1856 [or 1857]

Alice M. Parminter, Born in Illinois, March 13,1861

LIZZIE PARMINTER, Born in Illinois, September 30,1863 ( LIZZIE PARMINTER married WILLIAM FRAZIER KING )

Kate Parminter, Born in Illinois,April 15, 1866

Susie Parminter, Born in Illinois, December 6, 1869

Thomas Parminter, Born in Illinois, November 16,1871

Nellie M. Parminter, Born in Illinois, May 30,1879

BESSIE KING PATTERSON always said her grandfather John Parminter came to New York from England in 1837 when he was four years old. [John's father, James Parminter,  was born 1791 in Georgeham, Devonshire, England, and his Mother, Elizabeth [Dyer] was born 1789. 

A 1919 clipping from a Wilmore, Kansas newspaper provides most of the information on the John Parminter family both before and after their arrival in Dade County, Missouri. Alice Maud Parminter was an older sister of LIZZIE PARMINTER and her obituary reads as follows:

**************************************************************************************************************

Alice Maud Parminter was born at Odell, Illinois, March 13,1861, died April 24,1919, at her home near Wilmore, Kansas, at the age of 58 years and 23 days.

She spent her childhood at the old home in Illinois, and at the age of 18 she moved with her parents to southwest Missouri. A few years later, in 1885 she came to Commanche County with her brother, John, both of them taking homesteads in the county at that time. The homestead upon which the deceased filed is now part of the Wright ranch in the Ridge Summit neighborhood, and she has held her residence there continuously for thirty four years, thus becoming one of the pioneers of this county.

On March 1,1891, she was united in marriage to James E. Wright. To this union seven children were born, four girls and three boys. Two girls and two boys died in infancy.

Three of the children, Mrs. Blanche Pattullo. Majel I. and John H. Wright are still living. She also leaves her husband, four sisters and two brothers. The sisters are Mrs. Katie Bird and Mrs. Susie Pidcock of Lockwood, Mo., Mrs. Nell Bird of Jerome. Idaho, and Mrs. WILLIAM KING of Riverside, California. The brothers are Tom Parminter of Lockwood, Mo., and John Parminter of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.

At the age of 14 she accepted Christ as her Saviour and became a member of the Baptist church. After coming to Kansas she was for some time a member of the United Brethren church. For a number of years since she has been a faithful christian worker and one of those characters that count so much toward the upbuilding and betterment of a community.

She was a faithful and loving wife and mother and will be very much missed in the home and by relatives and the large circle of friends.

The funeral was conducted from the Christian church Friday afternoon, Elder D.E. Smith, pastor of the Greensburg Christian church, having charge of the services and burial was made in the Wilmore cemetery. The casket was covered with beautiful flowers, which were offerings from her many friends who join in expressions of sympathy to the bereaved family and relatives.

*************************************************************************************************************

Odell, Illinois is in Livingston County about 60 miles Southwest of Chicago. The clipping would indicate the family had lived there for many years and must have been well established. A follow-up in Illinois might lead to much earlier and more detailed information on this family. Nearly every county has a historical society, local public records, someone interested in genealogy, or a library with publications on local family histories. The Parminter children were born in Illinois over a 21 year period from I858 to 1879 when they left for Missouri. The wedding of WILLIAM F. KING and LIZZIE PARMINTER on April 13,1864 was held at the residence of John Parminter in Kings Point, Dade County, Missouri. Their children were BESSIE MABEL KING (b.Feb. 5,1886 ) and OLIVER A. KING (b. Feb. 28,1889 ) both born after the family moved to Egeria, Routt County, Colorado.

John 0. Parminter, older brother of LIZZIE PARMINTER KING was 21 years old when the family moved from Illinois to Missouri. The above obituary of his sister Alice states he took up a homestead in Commanche County, Kansas in 1885. By 1919 he was at Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The "History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties, Missouri" (see bibliography) states on page 793 that Emma Louella Parminter, wife of John 0. Parminter, was the daughter of William Allison of Bedford County, Tennessee and Montana and that she was born in Montana. It may be that John 0. Parminter in his moves from Illinois to British Columbia over a period of 61 years lived for a time in Montana and was married there. They had five children. The Parminters in Dade County history books all seem to be related to the family that arrived there in 1879. The name was not a common one there.

From notes BESSIE KING PATTERSON made on the back of photographs we have, it appears the Parminter family all kept in close touch. Most of the children left Dade County. Kate stayed and married Onder Bird. Their children were Roberta and Orvil and they lived four miles southeast of Lockwood. Nell married Milton Bird and lived in Yampa, Colorado and Jerome, Idaho. Their children were Virgil and Harvey. Tom and his wife Emma and sons lived in Dade County. The boys were Howard and Edgar. Susie Pidcock and family lived in Lockwood.

In September 1893 WILLIAM F. KING with his wife LIZZIE PARMINTER KING and their children BESSIE, age 7 and OLIVER age 4 made a return trip from Colorado to Dade County for a visit with their relatives. ( We do not know if this trip was by wagon or train ). In December, 1909, after the children were grown, they made a second visit back to Missouri, this time by railroad. Especially during the 1920's and 30's a number of PARMINTER and KING relatives frequently visited with WILLIAM F. and LIZZIE PARMINTER KING in Riverside, California. We have pictures and post cards with Christmas greetings and notes addressed to LIZZIE KING at the various places her family lived in California after moving from Colorado in 1899. On one occasion in the early 1920's Kate Parminter and her family came to Coachella, California to visit their niece BESSIE KING PATTERSON and family. It is still recalled that they camped out under some cottonwood trees in the pasture at the lower end of the ranch.

The book on gravestones in the Lockwood, Missouri cemetery lists the following Parminters:

John Parminter ( father of LIZZIE PARMINTER KING born December 8,1883 in England. Died September 9,1906.

Susan Elizabeth (Smith) Parminter ( mother of LIZZIE PARMINTER KING ) born May 4,1839 in New York. Died April 6, 1915

Other Parminters buried there

Carrie, Estella B., Emma, Infant, Kate Bird ( Mrs. Order Bird ), Rosemary, Thomas.

========================================================================