Richard Parker - 1851/?

Richard "Dick" Parker was the son of Noah & Malinda Parker, he was born in Mississippi and had 5 known siblings: Simon, Mary Jane, Ashley, Argie, and Henry.

Richard Parker owned property in the town of Vivian.  The land is located at what is now the town’s country club. Back in the late 1800's the white men wanted to buy the land from Grandpa Dick.  He said no.  The men were not too happy about it.  There was a fight with them and grandpa ended up hurting or maybe even killing one of the men in self-defense.  But of course back then there was not defense for a black man putting his hands on a white man for any reason.  They wanted to lynch him.  He ran to his tribe, Caddoan Indians, and they protected him. For some reason the white men did not go up against them, they left. But the chief told grandpa he would have to go away for a while.  He did.  He lost the land anyway.  Every time I drive into town and look over a the country club I think of my brave great grandpa and I kind of still think of the land as ours.  My aunt remembers him as having the bluest eyes she had ever seen.  She said his skin would change between red and beige.  My own father's skin did the same thing.  His was red and burnt orange sometimes.  I remember saying as a little girl the seasons changed just like daddy's skin.

source: ancestry.com Family Tree