Cover photo for Marian Parks's Obituary
Marian Parks Profile Photo

Marian Parks

October 27, 1927 — January 14, 2023

Marian Parks

Marinel Parks drew her last breath at 1:14 p.m. on Saturday, January 14, 2023. She died peacefully in her sleep at her home in Texas City. “Marinel” was born Marian Dwynell McBurnett on October 27, 1927, in Robstown, Texas to Lee & Marian McBurnett of Petrolina, Texas, a farming community near Corpus Christi, Texas.

Marinel was in Girl Scouts growing up. Members of her troop made quilt squares for each other and Marinel’s quilt now adorns her casket.

While in high school she entered a statewide typing competition and placed third. After high school, Marinel attended college at San Marcos where she joined Beta Sigma Phi. In 1947, she married her roommate’s brother, Pryor Dore’ Parks. Pryor and Marinel were soon deployed to Kodiak, Alaska with the Navy for the duration of the Korean War. While in Alaska, Pryor & Marinel lost their infant daughter, Vera Parks in 1951.

Later Pryor went to work for Texas City Refining shortly after the Texas City Blast. They lived in Galveston County when Marinel miscarried her precious infant twin girls, Pat and Patti Parks in 1953. When Marilee was born in 1954, they bought a house on 4th Avenue in Texas City next to Life-long friends Edgar & Dorothy Hendrick. Dorothy & Marinel maintained a Girl Scout Troop until their daughters, Janet & Marilee graduated from high school. Dorothy & Marinel’s escapades were comparable to those on “I Love Lucy”.

Marinel believed in  equal rights for women and was an environmentalist before it was popular. She was active in the League of Women Voters and the Galveston County Keystone Committee. She believed in Historic preservation; Marinel belonged to the Texas City Heritage Association , the Galveston County Historical Commission and the Galveston County Museum Board. She also volunteered at Danforth Hospital for many years as a “pink lady” and was a member of the First Baptist Church of Texas City for 67 years.

Marinel was gracious, generous, and adventurous. She learned to swim by sitting in a small boat in a large irrigation ditch while her older brothers, Sam McBurnett and David McBurnett stood on the bank and shot the boat full of holes until it sank. Always ready for fun, Marinel has been white water rafting and has ridden an elephant. Pryor and Marinel liked hunting in South Texas, and she became an excellent marksman, and was also an excellent driver.

Marinel was preceded in death by her “Mayflower” ancestor as well as her DAR and UDC ancestors, her parents, her two brothers, her husband, three infant daughters and an earlier generations of extended family.

She is survived by her 68 year old daughter Marilee, her OES sisters, her DAR and UDC sisters, later generations of her extended family, and many friends.

A visitation with friends and loved ones will be from 1:00 p.m. until 2:00 p.m. Tuesday, January 31, 2023 at Emken-Linton Funeral Home, with a short funeral service to follow at 2:00 p.m. Following the service a meal will be served at the Texas City Masonic Lodge, 702 14th Street, in Texas City.

Interment is scheduled at Hayes Grace Memorial Park in Hitchcock at a later date, weather dictating.

In lieu of plants & flowers, please feel free to make a modest donation to Marian Park’s account at Gulf Shore Federal Credit Union in Texas City, who can be reached at 409-945-2318.

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Marian Parks, please visit our flower store.

Past Services

Visitation

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

1:00 - 2:00 pm (Central time)

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Funeral Service

Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Starts at 2:00 pm (Central time)

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