“People need to get on their knees and pray for whatever it takes other than death,” advised Polly Parker.
Francis “Polly” Parker believes in the power of prayer and is strong in her faith. She has relied on God during her life and fondly looks back on all the memories she has made over the years and the direction her life has taken.
She met the love of her life and got married at a young age.
“I went to the National Guard Armory for New Year’s Day when I was 14, and I met Tommy Parker from Carmichael,” Polly reminisced. “We got engaged in April, married in July when I was 15, and went to Pascagoula. Then, he got drafted. We got married in 1970, and then we went to Charleston, South Carolina, in 1971. Our first child was born in 1971.”
She’s always had a desire to help others and chose to do just that by working in the medical field. Her dream of working in the medical field started when she was just a young girl.
“When I was a little girl, I got a plastic nursing kit as a present. I loved it,” remembered Polly. “I had a little teddy bear that I would cut open a little bit and then sew up. Then, I’d take some little candy and pretend to give it to the teddy bear. One day I got sick, and my mama took me to the doctor. I asked him if I could have a real needle to take home. He asked me what I wanted to do with it, and I told him I wanted to doctor my baby dolls. I had a plastic one in my nurse kit, but I wanted a real one. He told me he would give me one but if I used it on a human that my mama would tell him and he’d beat my butt. He scared me enough, but I just used it to give my baby dolls and teddy bear shots.”
Her childhood dream became a reality when she was older and moving around and started working at a hospital. She was able to acquire her certification as a CNA and care for others.
“I got certified when I worked at the hospital, so I’ve been a CNA for a little over 30 years,” explained Polly. “I worked at the hospital and loved it. I learned a lot. I learned how to be a monitor tech in Georgia and watched the monitors. I also helped out in the unit sometimes and helped out in the emergency room. I worked in surgery down here as a CNA. That was interesting.”
Although she doesn’t work in a hospital, she still maintains her certification and helps take care of the elderly.
“I take care of people. I have a 104 year old lady that I take care of,” informed Polly. “I take care of her seven days a week, and on the fourth Sunday I let her daughter go to church. I also take care of a gentleman who will be 88 in November twice a day.”
She doesn’t really have much time outside of taking care of others, but attending church is extremely important to her. She attends Calvary Baptist Church and has even taken on a leadership role there over the years.
“I usually do the senior citizen dinners, but since Covid hit, I haven’t been able to do one in a while,” expressed Polly. “I usually do a theme, like one year I did a western thing. I had stew and cornbread and all for them to eat, and I had pictures on the walls of gangsters. My husband played Tumbleweed, and he was a gangster. He was supposed to come in one door, but he came in another door and even startled me when he came in. He had a bandana on his face and everything. People like it because I try to put something behind it.”
No matter what each day brings, Polly spreads cheer to everyone she meets. Her smile and joyful spirit are contagious, and she doesn’t hesitate to witness to those she comes across. She will continue to live out her faith and care for others.
If you would like to nominate someone for Person of the Week, contact Brittney Mangum at 601-776-3726.
