Shirley Rae (Woodford) Parks

Our rock has passed. Our mom, Shirley Rae (Woodford) Parks passed away on Friday, April 4, 2025, at the Ruthven Care Center, she was 89 years old. Her last days were spent with her children surrounding her.

Mom was born and raised in Webb, to Gay and Genevieve (Thomas) Woodford. You would hear Mom's voice light up when she talked of the wonders of growing up in a small town where everybody knew everybody. She would tell us of all the wonderful memories of her life in a small town, the family picnics to the Marathon pit swimming hole and the train rides her and her friends would take to Spencer to see a movie. Mom stayed in Webb until she graduated from Webb-Garfield High School, she then moved to Spencer and worked at the treasury office. She met our dad, Jim Parks, at a Christmas party at Vern and Coilas they were married six months later in the Black Hills of South Dakota. They immediately started a family, and mom gave birth to five kids in six years. Thirteen years after giving birth to her youngest, Mom had her hands full with five teenagers!

Mom was the hardest-working person you would have ever met. She started working when she was 8, taking any job anyone in town had to offer, from cleaning the church basement to ironing sheets. She babysat all the kids in Webb, and it was on a walk home late at night from one of those jobs she slipped on the ice and hit her head, she said she saw a bright light at the end of the path she was walking on and angels in the trees. From that moment on, she knew there was a heaven. For 21 years Mom picked every ear of sweet corn we sold from our roadside stand. She would start at first light and quit after the last customer had gone that evening. She would then make her family of seven a meal, wash dishes and then start the process of canning the garden vegetables, which would take until two in the morning. She would get a couple of hours of sleep and then head back to the cornfield. Mom worked at Shopko in Spencer from 1984 through 2001, when the store closed. She made many friends at Shopko and continued a monthly lunch date with them all the years since.

Family meant everything to mom. She was always there when anyone asked anything of her. When it came to the family, she gave and gave and gave. She had eight grandchildren and 14 great-grandkids with another on the way, her face would light up with joy at Christmas when she would see all the kids enjoying opening their presents.

Mom is survived by her five kids, Curt (Cheryl) Parks of Spencer; Kim Borth of Spencer; Brett (Michelle) Parks of Okoboji; Brenda (Ted) Ravenscroft of Longmont, Colorado; Jim Parks of Milford; and all of her grand and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, husband of 26 years, Jim Parks; brother, Arlyn (Woody) Woodford; and son-in-law, Ken Borth.

Our mom was the most good, kind, true, honest and genuine person on the face of the Earth.

Warner Funeral Home of Spencer is in charge of arrangements. Condolences may be sent at www.warnerfuneralhome.com.