Laura Neda Parker Birdsong (1877-1968)

Laura Neda Parker Birdsong

Birth

1877

Death

1968 (aged 90–91)

Burial

Cache Cemetery

Cache, Comanche County, Oklahoma, USA Add to Map

Memorial ID

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Neda's obit ~

The Lawton Constitution
Friday, January 12, 1968
Front page, con't on page 4, includes photo

Rites to be Monday

Mrs. Birdsong, Daughter of Quanah Parker, Dies

Mrs. Neda Laura Parker Birdsong, 83, daughter of Quanah Parker, the last Comanche Chief, died at 5:10 a.m. today in the Lawton Indian Hospital.

She had been ill the past six years with cancer.

She was born Feb. 23, 1884, in Indian Territory. Mrs. Birdsong lived about 20 years in Star House, Quanah Parker's famous home now located in Eagle Park. Most of her life, however, she lived in Cache.

Services will be at 9 a.m. Monday in St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, with Charles Brown, rector, officiating. Burial will be in Cache Cemetery under the direction of Becker Funeral Home.

Mrs. Birdsong attended Fort Sill Indian School and three eastern schools, Carlisle Institute, Carlisle, Pa.; a Quaker school, in Morristown, N.J., and a school at Ocean City, N.J.

In 1904 she attended a business college in Fort Worth, Tex., where she met her future huisband, Aubrey C. Birdsong. They were married that year.

After Aubrey was appointed Head of the Cache sub-agency of the Indian Bureau, they lived at the Agency quarters. They separated during World War II. She moved to Star House and lived there for about 10 years before it was moved to Eagle Park in 1957 during a Fort Sill land expansion.

In 1956, Mrs. Birdsong placed her extensive Quanah Parker collection in the Fort Sill Museum, forming the basis for the present Quanah Parker Room. In 1962, the museum acquired these items from her on a permanent basis.

She joined St. John's Episcopal Church in Carlisle, Pa., and was a member of the Daughters of the King, one of the highest orders of the Episcopal Church. She also was a member of the Cache Garden Club, a former member of the Entre Nous Club, Lawton, and a member of various historical societies.

Survivors include one daughter, Mrs. Nona Dean, Cache; a brother, Tom Parker, of Apache; and two half-sisters, Mrs. Alice Parker Purdy, 414 ½ Ferris, and Mrs. Wanada Parker Page, 2713 I., and one granddaughter and two great-grandchildren.

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And the announcement of the marriage of Neda and Aubrey Birdsong

Eau Claire Leader
Tuesday, December 13, 1904, Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Texan Marries an Indian Bride
Rescues her from college fire and later choose her for his wife.

Dallas, Tex., Dec. 12 – Miss Neda Parker, of Cache, and A.C. Birdsong, of Marshall, Tex., were married her last night. The bride is the daughter of Quanah Parker, Chief of the Comanche Indians.

Miss Parker came to Dallas to attend school. One night an alarm of fire near the college dormitory caused an invasion of the place by the firemen.

Mr. Birdsong rushed with the fireman to the rescue of the schoolgirls and carried Miss Parker to a place of safety.

The chance meeting began a romance which, in spite of the opposition of the faculty, let to the marriage last night."

Gravesite Details

Parent links provided courtesy of Cokeman2. Thank you! Neda's announcement of marriage and copy of her obituary provided by Lisa Stalnaker. Thank you!