Obituary for Bernadene Parcher

Bernadene Briggs Parcher

(March 7, 1927 – November 15, 2016)

Bernadene Parcher, 89, passed gently from this life the night of Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at Hillcrest Manor nursing home in Blackwell, Oklahoma. She was the wife of the late Jack Parcher of Braman, Oklahoma. They shared 59 years of marriage together. In the last few years of her life, she always insisted the Manor was her home and often bragged on HER nurses and their graciousness.

Bernadene was born in Blackwell, Oklahoma on March 7, 1927, the daughter of Fred and Sara Briggs. She was raised around the Briggs Creamery, which was run by her parents, where from a young age, she worked scooping ice cream for many happy customers. Her claim to fame was having been able to dip out seven cones at once, holding them all in a single hand while spectators gathered to watch. Bernadene spoke of many customers visiting the creamery in order to see her demonstrate this feat. She later attended Blackwell High School, where she graduated in 1944.

After high school, Bernadene attended Stephens College in Columbia, Missouri, and later Oklahoma A&M in Stillwater, Oklahoma, where she majored in organ. In later years, standing over the small organ in the back room of her house with her grandchildren, she would say she would have rather studied something different in college, but her mother really wanted her to study the organ, so she did it to make her mother happy.

On February 27, 1950, Bernadene married Jack Parcher, and the two settled down to country life on their farm north of Braman. They had three children: James Jay, Jaqueline Lynn, and Carl William. She spent many hours with her kids out in the yard playing ball and even warming them up before baseball games by throwing them grounders. In the 22 years there was a kid in the household, her children say it’s possible she might not have missed a single one of their games.

Bernadene attended the Methodist Church in Braman with the children while they were growing up, and in later years she claimed the Blackwell Church of Christ as her home congregation.

Bernadene held jobs at the Ed Johnson Grain Co., Braum’s, Shepherds, and South Haven Travel Plaza during her working years, but her children remember fondly her years as a stay-at-home mother and housewife. They remember dinners at Dairy Queen as a Sunday night tradition, whether Bernadene just hadn’t wanted to cook that night, or they had all just liked ice cream that much.

She was an avid golfer and bowler in her younger years and enjoyed watching “the golf” on television, especially when Phil Mickelson was playing. She loved to travel to Las Vegas with her husband Jack, and as she fondly recalled to one of her grandkids one summer day, “We just had a ball during the 70’s.” She spoke often of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin, and cited having met Bill Cosby in a gift shop one trip.

Her grandchildren will always remember the sleep-overs at grandma’s, of which there were many, and the late nights spent watching Pee Wee Herman and Nick at Nite, especially I Love Lucy and Days of Our Lives. They remember the trips to Braum’s, the Coca-Cola and chocolate ice cream, and her big smile—her greeting of “Hey, Kid,” every time she would see one of them. They remember Olympic figure skating being on her t.v. all the time back in the old days and QVC always. They will miss her dearly.

In the last few years of her life, which she spent at Hillcrest Manor, she would speak fondly with a smile on her face about her fellow residents and friends who would stop by her room every chance they got for the chocolates she kept on hand for them. In her last year at the Manor, Bernadene received honors such as Smile of the Month and Valentine’s Queen 2016.

In her years of life, Bernadene was many things: she was a wife, a mother, a homemaker, a grandmother, and later a great-grandmother, but she was also a great friend. Those who knew her sunshine will never forget her legacy and the sweet memories she leaves behind.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Jack Parcher; one brother, Bill Briggs; also two sisters, Beverly Clarke, and Barbara Yocam.

She is survived by her three children, Jim Parcher and his wife Lisa of Ponca City, OK, Jackie Reed and her husband David of Blackwell, OK, Carl Parcher and his wife Rena of Braman, OK, nine grandchildren, Kent Parcher of Fayetteville, AR, Kelli Palmer and her husband Lonnie of Fort Smith, AR, Eric Reed and his wife Kelly of Rowlett, TX, Sarah Rockford and her husband Chris of Moore, OK, Jon Reed and his wife Melissa of Bixby, OK, Matthew Parcher of Braman, OK, Christopher Parcher of Moore, OK, Jacob Parcher of Braman, OK, Erikah Parcher of Edmond, OK, nine great-grandchildren, Kassidy Parcher of Okmulgee, OK, Kendall Parcher of Okmulgee, OK, Haylee Parcher of Fort Smith, AR, Amoriana Palmer of Fort Smith, AR, Aniya Palmer of Fort Smith, AR, Boston Rockford of Moore, OK, Blythe Reed of Rowlett, TX, Rylee Reed of Bixby, OK, and Remi Reed of Bixby, OK.

Bernadene’s grandchildren will serve as honorary pallbearers.

A memorial service is scheduled for 10:00 a.m., Saturday, November 26th in the Roberts and Son Funeral Home in Blackwell with Lanny Jobe of the Blackwell Church of Christ officiating. Burial will follow in the Braman Cemetery.

A memorial has been established in her honor with the Hillcrest Manor Nursing Home Activity Fund in c/o Roberts and Son Funeral Home, 120 W. Padon, Blackwell, Oklahoma 74631.