The summer of 1975 was a busy one for the Parks family. First cousins Gene Parks, Danny Matthews, Randy Parks, and Paula Parks all chose their wedding dates in a spread of about 6 weeks from June 27 to August 10. Fast forward to 2025 and all four couples are celebrating their 50th wedding anniversaries this summer.
A wonderful celebration was held on Sunday, July 20th for all four cousins and their spouses at the Crossing Church in Macomb, IL. The planning began months in advance by the daughters of each couple to honor their parents and their 50 years of marriage.
Gene Parks, son of Merle and Ruth Parks, grew up on a farm near Colchester and married his high school sweetheart Christine Nelson. They were married the summer before Christine’s senior year of high school at Colchester High School. Their wedding took place at West Bethel Church near Fandon, IL on June 27, 1975. They took up farming near Colchester and still live in the same house they came home to after the honeymoon. Gene and Chris have one son Bill Parks, and one daughter Jennifer Parks Briggs. They also have four grandkids.
Danny Matthews, son of Tommy and Doris Matthews, was a Colchester High School friend of Floyd Eddington and stood up with his friend at his wedding. During the wedding, Danny met Floyd’s younger sister Louisa when he walked down the aisle with her. Danny was soon making trips to Peoria where Louisa was attending Methodist School of Nursing. After dating about a year and her graduation as an RN, they got married on July 5, 1975, at the Methodist Church in Colchester, IL.
Danny worked at McClure Quarry near Tennessee, IL and Louisa was a nurse.
They are the parents of four children, Thomas, Amy, Benjamin, and Emily and raised their family near Tennessee, IL. Danny and Louisa have eight grandkids. Paula Parks, daughter of Paul and Marjory Parks, met Jere Greuel on a blind date arranged by Jere’s Aunt Millie Beans. After dating for a year and Jere completing his master’s degree from WIU and Paula graduating with a Bachelor‘s degree from WIU in May of 1975, they were married on August 2, 1975, at the Vermont Christian Church, Vermont, IL. They have a daughter Amanda and twin sons Levi and Nathan. Jere was a farmer in the Industry area and Paula was a Title I teacher before retiring. They have eleven grandkids.
Randy Parks met his wife Sharon Rector during their high school days at VIT.
Sharon was a year younger and grew up outside of Vermont and Ipava, IL. Randy is a brother to Paula Parks and both grew up on a farm between Vermont and Table Grove, IL. Randy graduated from Spoon River College and Sharon from Gem City College in Quincy, IL in May of 1975. They set their wedding date for August 10, 1975, and soon afterwards took up farming near Adair, IL. Randy and Sharon have three kids, Branson, Brian, and Brecken, and five grandkids.
And It All Started Here...
Everette and Bertha Robinson Parks were married on October 30, 1918, in Macomb, IL. They were the parents of Doris Parks Matthews, Mary Parks Cook, Merle Parks, and Paul Parks. These are the parents and grandparents of the four couples celebrating 50 years of marriage. Faith, family, and hard work were important in the Parks family.
Growing up, the first cousins got together at family dinners and reunions. During the summer, cousins would often stay all night at a cousin’s house for a week, or with another cousin at Grandma and Grandpa Parks’s house.
In today’s world of a throw away society, it is amazing that these four couples can celebrate fifty years together!
