Backforty Bunkhouse Newsletter - Joe Baker Home Page

Jeremy Deryl Parker
(July 14, 1983 - September 8, 2010)
Jeremy Parker left this life on September
8, 2010 after a six-month battle with
acute myeloid leukemia at Oklahoma
University Medical Center in Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma. After a courageous
struggle Jeremy rests in peace with his
Lord. His brutal trial was an inspiration
to many from coast to coast. When
questioned about how a human could
maintain such strength under such adverse conditions, Jeremy
replied, ―Tough is what we are!‖ He never gave up and never quit
fighting. Never flinching, he let Faith be his guide and gave all
Glory to God.
Jeremy was born in Shattuck, Oklahoma, at Newman Memorial
Hospital to Jennifer (Deal) and Scott Parker. He grew up around
his Granddad Deryl‘s ranch near Arnett, Oklahoma where he attended
school from the fourth grade through high school. Moving
his senior year, Jeremy graduated in 2002 from Edmond North
High School in Edmond, Oklahoma. Jeremy was active in 4-H
and Boy Scouts. He played basketball and enjoyed baseball. At
the ranch, he loved hunting and fishing with his father and breaking
colts for his Granddad. Jeremy received further education at
Southwest Oklahoma State University, but his heart was in the
country. Jeremy loved the land. After a brief stint in the oil field,
he returned to Arnett to make a hand on the ranch.
Family and spending time with relatives was very important to
Jeremy. He was affable with keen awareness and a sharp sense
of humor. Nothing made Jeremy happier than to make someone
else smile. He was a peacemaker who always brought folks together.
In his short life, Jeremy had fond memories. One was the summer
he spent training horses in Montana with Jim Simpson. It was an
opportunity for him to work with a world-class trainer and hone his
skills in cutting and reigning. Between clinics he got to rope, participate
in rodeos, and work on a large ranch surrounded by beautiful
landscape.
Other indelible experiences include the road trips Jeremy took
with his Granddad to Arizona. There he and his Aunt Janice took
long rides on their horses Princess and Happy in the mountains
and Sonoran desert. Jeremy was overwhelmed by the ancient
ironwood trees, giant saguaros, and abundant wildlife... every day
there was an adventure.
Later in life, God blessed Jeremy with Megan Rumbaugh. She
was a soul mate who shared the same interests. They met in Edmond
and quickly grew close to one another. A terrific team of
horsemen, Jeremy would start‘em and she would finish‘em. They
were married August 8, 2009 at the Waterloo Nazarene Church in
Edmond, Oklahoma. After the ceremony they established residence
in Higgins, Texas. Jeremy continued to work on the ranch.
Megan found a job at Cedar Ridge Veterinary Clinic in Arnett,
Oklahoma. Five months after the wedding Jeremy fell ill and was
eventually diagnosed with AML. They went to OU Medical Center
to begin treatment. His focus was to fight and defeat this daunting
foe. Along the way, he inspired and made friends with many fellow
cancer patients. The hospital staff grew attached to him because
of his incredible positive attitude and Faith. And through it
all, Megan was steadfast by his side, as an amazing guardian
angel, and guiding light. Jeremy‘s parents, Jennifer, Scott, and
Tami also spent many hours comforting and caring for their ailing
boy. Megan‘s parents, Jerry and Sherol Rumbaugh, and sister,
24
Morgan, also embraced this struggle and provided unimaginable
moral support. Jeremy was a hero to those who knew him and left
deep boot prints for the cowboy kind.
Those preceding Jeremy in death include great grandparents
Verner and Gladys Parker, great grandparents Iona and Jim Guilford,
his grandfather Harvey Deal, and step-grandfather Charles
Lundy. He is survived by his wife Megan, mother Jennifer Deal
Parker, father Scott Parker, step-mother Tami Parker, sister
Amanda Parker Justin and daughter Ava, grandmother Marie
Deal, granddad Deryl Parker and Gwen, grandmother Anita
Tackett and step-grandfather Doyle Tackett, and numerous extended
relatives.
Jeremy‘s family would like to thank everyone for their compassion
and support. Donations can be made to Caringbridge.org, First
Christian Church of Arnett, Oklahoma, and Shaw Funeral Home,
Arnett, Oklahoma.
Bill Phillips
We were saddened to learn that
Bill Phillips passed away. Bill
was a great artist and a great
friend. I visited with him last
month when we were in Nashville.
He had just gotten out of
the hospital, but was in great
spirits. He was always so complimentary about the music that we
have produced down here. He will be missed.
Tracy Pitcox
(325) 597-1895
Country singer Bill Phillips, best known for his hit ―Put It Off Until
Tomorrow,‖ and for playing a pivotal role in Dolly Parton’s early
career died yesterday, Aug. 23. He was 74.
Parton co-wrote and sang on ―Tomorrow,‖ which helped her garner
enough attention to land a record deal.
When Phillips came to Nashville he signed with Cedarwood Publishing
and Columbia Records. But his biggest success came at
Decca Records, where he had two top 10 hits in 1966:
―Tomorrow‖ and ―The Company You Keep,‖ both written by Parton
and her uncle Bill Owens. Phillips also reached the Top 10 with
1969‘s ―Little Boy Sad.‖ Among the hits he wrote that were recorded
by others were Webb Pierce’s ―Falling Back To You.‖
Phillips was also a frequent guest on many television shows, including
those headed up by Porter Wagoner, Bill Anderson, and
Parton. He was also part of Kitty Wells and Johnny Wright’s TV
show and touring troupe from the late ‗60s until 1984.
Joe Baker’s Recognition and Honors
Cowtown Society of Western Music Heroes
Academy of Western Artists Disc Jockey of the Year
Cowtown Society of Western Music Disc Jockey of the Year
Western Swing Music Society of the Southwest Hall of Fame
Membership Director—Cowtown Society of Western Music
Board of Directors—Cowtown Society of Western Music
Seattle Western Swing Music Society POWS Hall of Fame
Backforty Newsletter—CSWM’s Publication of the Year 2009
The Western Swing Society Sacramento CA Hall of Fame
KNMB, Western Music Assn. 2006 Radio Station Of The Year
KWMW, Western Music Assn. 2007 Radio Station Of The Year