Funeral Services will be held on Friday, December 9, 2022 at 11:00am at Hill & Son Funeral Home in Appleton City, MOA Visitation will will also be held on Friday, December 9, 2022 from 10:00-11:00am at Hill & Son Funeral Home in Appleton City, MO
Sonny Rosbrugh will officiate the service
Memorial donations may be given to Promedica Hospice or Ellet Memorial Hospital Foundation.
Laudene Swopes Parks was born May 3, 1931 to Lea Verde and Lula Belle (Norris) Swopes near Peru, Kansas. She passed away Dec. 3, 2022 peacefully surrounded by her children.
As a teenager Laudene worked out on the farm with her dad after her brother went to the Army. She told of plowing with a team of horses from dawn to dusk. She later moved to Appleton City where she worked at the Schlichtman Hatchery, was a waitress and caregiver to support herself. During this time, she met her future husband, Billy Gene Parks and they were married on Jan. 13, 1951 in Eureka Springs, AR. To this union six children were born.
After Gene joined the Air Force they moved to Selma, AL and then on to England. She talked of her first plane ride over to England and a two week trip back to the USA on a ship with two small boys. After returning they moved to St. Clair County and farmed the rest of their lives.
Laudene was an avid gardener and raised a huge garden every year, canning and freezing as much as possible because she always seemed to feed an army. She was an excellent cook and hosted huge family gatherings each weekend. There were always extras at her table whether they were farm hands, extra family or friends of her children. Everyone was welcome.
She enjoyed making quilts for her family, from her kids to great-grandkids. She made her last quilt in August. She also had a way with animals. She could get them to do most anything she wanted.
She had a life-long wish of being baptized and on Oct. 2, 2022 she was baptized by a family friend.
Laudene was preceded in death by her parents, one son John, her husband Gene, two sisters and one brother.
Mourning her death are two sons, Ronnie and Kristine Parks of Appleton City, MO and Bob and Donna Parks of Rockville, MO; three daughters, Vickie and Cody Rhinehart of Knob Noster, MO, Patty and Orville Oehring and Sandra and Michael McCarthy both of Rockville, MO. She was also blessed to have 15 grandchildren, 41 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren who will miss her greatly.
