NATCHEZ — Services for Stanley Clark Parks, 71, of Monterey, La., and Natchez, who died Sunday, May 17, 2009, at M.D. Anderson Medical Center in Houston, Texas, will be at 11 a.m. today at Laird Funeral Home Union Street Chapel.
Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.
Mr. Parks was born Sept. 15, 1937, in El Dorado, Ark., the son of Dale Parks and Cecil Rose Edwards Parks.
Stanley graduated from Smackover High School in Smackover, Ark., in 1955. He spent the next months constructing a barbed wire fence around the south 40 acres of the Parks home place. While completing this project, he worked with a plumber performing maintenance jobs at the school. Stanley worked and saved enough money for a train ride to Montana. He went there to join some cousins already employed in the oil field profession. He arrived there in the fall of 1955 with a Canadian quarter and two U.S. pennies in his pocket. He stood on the street corner until Lloyd Helmes, his first cousin, came by and picked him up and there began his three years in the oil fields of Montana. Stanley always came home once a year for Christmas and of course, always had Christmas gifts for everyone. He left Montana in the late 1950s and returned home to work in the oil fields of Smackover and El Dorado. He began full time employment with New and Hughes Drilling Company in El Dorado and Natchez. Stanley moved with them to Natchez and worked his way up from a derrick hand to a driller, then tool pusher and later to become their drilling superintendent. He decided to venture out on his own in 1973 with Par-Co Drilling Company, Inc. A corporation formed by Stanley Parks and Ty Coley. In 1984, they formed an additional corporation, Alpine Well Service, Inc. The partnership of Stanley and Ty in both companies existed until the late 1990s and at this time the ownership became that of Stanley and Debbie Parks and remains that as of today.
Companies in the petroleum industry struggled through the 1980s and 1990s with many of them going out of business. Par-Co and Alpine continued to operate through perseverance, determination and the hard work of Stanley and the loyalty of their employees; R.G. “Bucket” Lewis, Pattye Wallace, Lee Melton and the late George Bramlett who played a major role in the survival. The petroleum industry got a well needed boost in early 2000 with the increase in the price of oil. Par-Co and Alpine are two thriving corporations with 17 employees and even more, with the re-establishment of abandoned oil fields that Stanley and his son-in-law, Ruben Shealy, were successful at reviving .
Stanley loved outdoor activities, fishing and sporting, especially football games of the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Louisiana State University Tigers. He seldom missed the sporting activities involving his grandchildren. His family was the most important aspect of his life. Another of Stanley’s favorite hobbies was reading old western novels. We would like to describe Stanley as “great,” but he would be more at peace being called honorable.
He was a great man, husband, father, grandfather, son, uncle, brother, brother-in-law, employer and friend to all.
He was preceded in death by his parents; one brother, Charles Dale Parks; and one brother-in-law, Bill Lovette.
Survivors include his loving wife, Deborah Byrnes Kiser Parks; one son, Anthony Clark Parks of Nashville, Tenn.; three daughters, Kelly Parks Shealy and husband, Ruben, of Covington, La., Kala Allen of Natchez and Tiffany Mannino and husband, Matthew, of Praireville, La.; five grandsons, Kyle Shealy and fiancée, Lauren, Mason Shealy, Ethan Shealy, all of Covington, Christian Credeur of Natchez and soon to be born, Preston Parks Mannio of Praireville; two granddaughters, Alexis Roberts of Natchez and Madison Mannino of Praireville; one brother, Kenneth Parks and wife, Glynda, of Conway, Ark.; three sisters, Pat Lovette of Alexandria, La., Rose Mary Womack and husband, Delbert, and Carolyn Willett and husband, John, all of Smackover; and a number of nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles and friends.
The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.