Remembering Lillian Oasis Greer Parks

Lillian Oasis Greer

by her sister Florence Leoma Greer Crosby

Born in 1891, Lillian Oasis Greer joined three other siblings in the Harris and Orpha Greer family. Her middle name was after her father's younger sister. Lillian had beautiful, curly red hair. She learned to be an expert rider as well as a fine hostess for the many travelers to her father's Apache County ranch. Grandmother Greer taught Lillian and her sisters to sew and to make hats. Lillian graduated from the St. Johns Academy. 

At age 25, she married Gordon Arthur Parks, who was born 6 November 1896 in Longmont, Colorado, and whose family had moved to St. Johns sometime before 1912. Gordon and Lillian lived at the site of the Lyman Reservoir where he was employed as one of the chief engineers. Their first child, Maxine, was born 11 December 1917 in Holbrook. Lillian brought the baby and visited often with friends and family in St. Johns. When in St. Johns, Lillian taught teenage girls to sew and display their work at the county fair.

Their son, Gordon Elton, was born 13 Nov 1919 in St. Johns. In April of 1923, the family moved to Santa Barbara, California, where Billy Harris was born 7 May 1927. When Billy was a few months old, Lillian began to be ill and developed arthritis. They moved back to Arizona in 1932 and lived on West Washington Street in Phoenix. Gordon continued to work as a steam shovel operator. Lillian was crippled by this time and was confined to a wheelchair, but still she cared well for herself, her home, and her family.

Three years after their return to Arizona, Gordon was killed in an accident at work. A Phoenix newspaper reported:  

         "Mr. Gordon Parks, Phoenix, was instantly killed last Friday, November 8, 1935, while at work for a construction company near Wickenburg. Mr. Parks was operating one of two power shovels constructing a bridge east of the city when the accident occurred. The two men operating the shovels were busy unloading the last load of steel bridge ties just before the noon meal when suddenly the dipper on the opposite shovel swung around and caught Mr. Parks as he was ready to leave his shovel to unload the steel from the other shovel. Mr. Parks was rushed to the city hospital but the doctor pronounced instant death from the impact of the heavy load.”

A speaker at his funeral said that Gordon only wished that when he passed to the beyond that it could be said of him that his life had been such that his fellowmen would say, “He was a fellow who spoke well of everyone or remained quiet.” At the time of their father’s death, the children were: Maxine, age 18; Elton, age 16; and Billy, age 8. Billy was at the construction camp waiting for his dad at the time of the accident.

During the summer of 1951, Lillian was living 

with her daughter, Maxine, and became quite ill. About 10 July of that year, her sisters, Catherine and Florence, went to see her in Phoenix. At her request, they took her to Greer for a visit. She became ill after four days and she was admitted to the Springerville Hospital. Her sisters never left her side. Many relatives and friends came to offer their love and service. On 15 August 1951 at the age of 59, Lillian passed away. She was buried in Phoenix Greenwood Memorial Park beside her husband.