Barbara Ann Parker born on November 10, 1947, the mother of Jermaine Parker, grandmother of Ariel Parker and Brain Crutcher and great grandmother of Xurie Bowie died on January 7, 2016 and was welcomed into the waiting arms of her Lord Jesus Christ. He called and she answered.

Barbara also known as “Polly” was born in Cincinnati, Ohio in the West End. She was born in a section of the West End called the “bottoms”. She was the second oldest of seven. She thrived in the West End along with her sisters and brothers. The community was a village that took care of all the children. She went to Jackson and Stow school in the West End and later graduated from Hughes High School.

Barbara has always worked, for short times at varies jobs but the jobs she kept and loved was working for the Internal Revenue Service for over 30 years. She started as an intake person part-time during the tax season and retired 30 years later as a manager. One of the coworkers would tease her that they would wait to see what she wore each day. She was very fashionable. Everything matched. IRS is where she said the Lord laid on her heart to learn sign language so that everyone had the opportunity to be minister to. Not only did she developed staff at IRS, she was able to communicate with those who had a disability. She was well liked and respected for her efforts and received many awards and recognition for her services.

Jesus called Barbara at an early age to follow him but he had to wait until she understood that he was waiting for her to turn around and see Him. And she did. She went to Tryed Stone New Beginning Church one day and never left. Her mother Ruth followed. Her mother’s home going was also at Tryed Stone New Beginning. Even when she became ill she always kept Tryed Stone in her heart. She ministered in every ministry that was at the church, Teacher, Prayer Warrior, Intercessory Prayer, Counselor and Nurse’s Guild where she was the first one to recruit a male nurse. But the ministry she loved was interpreting the word of God. Her greatest joy was to praise God every Sunday with the gracefulness of a dancer using her hands and emotions. Even when she became ill she would take her time and climb to her station so that those who could not hear the Word could hear it in her graceful hands.

Because of illness she moved to Mobile Alabama with her son and daughter in law. She continue to worship God at the Shiloh Baptist Church in Mobile up until her death.

Barbara is preceded in death by her mother Ruth Parker Freeland, her grandmother Carrie Williams, her great aunt Edna Ottey her Aunt Barbara L. McKnight, and brother in law Jerome Coach.

Those she leave to celebrate her life are her son Jermaine Parker (Crystal), her father Dale Freeland, sisters Gloria J. Parker-Martin (George), Sandra Parker-Spears (Michael), Darnella Freeland, brothers Leonard Parker, Dale Linder (Halima Odette), Darrell Freeland, aunt Ramona Wilburn, granddaughter Ariel Parker, grandson Brian Crutcher, great granddaughter Xurie Bowie, nieces and nephews Damon Heard, Mackenzie Parker, Justin Parker, Tanya M. Parker Harvest Spear, Myckael Spears, Charisma Spears, Pomgna Freeland Linder, Abbe Geneva Linder, Darrell Williams, Marcus Williams, Albert Brandon Williams, Cornelius Williams, Demarcole Jackson, Cerome Coach cousins Virgil McKnight, Candy Wilburn and Aliyah Hawkins. She also leaves a host of great niece and nephews and friends.





Her remains will lie in state on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 from 10am until 6pm at Small's Mortuary, Mobile, AL. Visitation will be held on Monday, January 18, 2016 from 9am until the 11am funeral hour at Tyed Stone New Beginning Baptist Church, 5550 Reading Rd. Cincinnati, OH, 45237. Interment will follow in Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, OH.

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