Life History

Notes

• "Cathie, two of Rudolph Fischer's daughters by Kahchacha (Bertie and Helen) married two of Quanah Parker's sons (Len and Thomas). Everything that I was able to learn about Fischer I incorporated into my book 'The Captured.'"
  Scott Zesch
  --  Ancestry Discussion Boards, "Rudolph Fischer, Indian Captive," http://boards.ancestrylibrary.com/surnames.fischer/717.2.1.1.2/mb.ashx
  
  In 1900 Thomas and his brother Nehio are in a mission school on the reservation.  The enumerator has reported Lenn and both his parents as Kiowas, but has it right for Thomas.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Oklahoma Territory, 1 June, Apache, Kiowa & Comanche Reservation, District 25, page 29B, Methvin Institute Mission School
  Parker, Lenn Pupil Ind M Oct 1890 9 OklaTerr OklaTerr OklaTerr Horse Herd [No rpt of ownership] Kiowa Father Kiowa Mother Kiowa [Should all be Comanche]
  Parker, Thomas Pupil Ind M Mar 1893 6 OklaTerr OklaTerr OklaTerr Comanche Comanche Comanche
  
  Taum-mer-ra-da       Eng Name Sidney Mah-seet  Male Husband 36
  A-er-wuth-take-um   Female wife 41
  Ne-hio                  Eng Name Len Parker  Male Stepson 15
  Tit-tah                 Eng Name Thomas Parker  Male Stepson 13
  Eng Name Mary Taum-mer-ra-da  Female Dau 9
  Eng Name Josephine Taum-mer-ra-da  Female Dau 4
  Eng Name Dyson Mah-seet Male Son 1/4
  
  I found a marriage record that appears to be for this Thomas Parker (I have found no other individual named Thomas Parker), in 1912.  This is earlier than his reported marriage to Marie Fisher, so this must be an earlier marriage.  I have seen no other record of this marriage, or entry in a genealogy.  If he married in 1912, going by the 1900 census, he would have been 25.
  
  However, the date of birth on his gravestone is later, 1889.  If this is correct, then in 1912, Tom would have been 23.  The gravestone of his older brother Len reports Len's birth year as 1888, while all Len's later reports of birth or age, including his WWI report where he is presumably the one reporting, place his birth in 1890.  Len's age in the 1990 census would make his birth year 1885.
  
  Caddo County Oklahoma Marriage Records
  Book #6, Jul 1912 - Jun 1914; Record #59, 19 Oct 1912
  Meruqua, Maggie
  Parker, Thomas
  --  RootsWeb, http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~okcaddo/marriage/marbk6b.txt
  
  I have found no further record of a Maggie Meruqua.  In the 1911 census, Thomas is reported as the sole member of a household of his own.
  
  1911 Indian Census Rolls, Kiowa Comanche and Apache Tribes, Oklahoma, 30 June, Kiowa Agency, Comanche Tribe, Page 20
  20 Tit tah (Thomas Parker)  19 M Roll #6 1/2
  
  But in the 1914 census, Thomas is reported with his wife and child.  The age of the child Ruth, born in 1913 we ae told, matches the marriage record of Thomas to Maggie in the Caddo Conty record.  But in this census, his wife's name is Victoria Wer yack we.
  
  1914 Indian Census Rolls, Comanche Tribe, Oklahoma, 1 July, Kiowa Agency, Comanche Tribe, page 2
  Tit-tah (Thomas Parker)  6.25 Head 1891 M
  Victoria Wer yack we Wife 1898 F
  Ruth Dau 1913 F
  
  The complexities of Comanche naming patterns make it hard to distinguish or confirm with only two records.  But Thomas and Victoria were divorced in 1918.
  
  Parker, Thomas
  Parker, Victoria
  09 Jul 1918
  --  Caddo County, Oklahoma, Divorce Records, OKGenWeb, http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~okcaddo/divorce/divorce-p.html
  
  In the 1940 census, Thomas and Helen have several children, including another daughter named Ruth, age 8.
  
  1940 Federal Census, Comanche County, Oklahoma, 2 April, Chandler Township, District 16-4, Page 1A, Hse #3, Owns $800
  Parker, Thomas Head F Ind 49 Married Grade 8 b Oklahoma same house 1935 Farm Work
  Parker, Helen Wife F Ind 43 Married Grade H2 b Oklahoma same house in 1935 Housewife
  Parker, William Son M Ind 18 Single Grade H1 b Oklahoma same house in 1935 Farm Work
  Parker, Elmer L A B (?) Son M Ind 15 Single Grade H1 b Oklahoma same house in 1935
  Parker, Teresa Ann Dau F Ind 13 Single Grade 5 b Oklahoma same house in 1935
  Parker, Henry Son M Ind 10 Single Grade 3 b Oklahoma same house in 1935
  Parker, Ruth Dau F Ind 8 Single Grade 1 b Oklahoma same house in 1935
  Parker, Charles Son M Ind 3 Single b Oklahoma same house in 1935
  
  -------------------------------
  Thomas "Tit-Tah" Parker
  Birth Oct. 15, 1889 Cache, Comanche County, Oklahoma
  Death Jul. 9, 1975 Anadarko, Caddo County, Oklahoma
  
  The Lawton Constitution
  Thursday, July 10, 1975, page 3A
  
  Son of Comanche Chief Parker Dies
  
  Apache (Staff) - Thomas Titah Parker, 85, last surviving child of the famed Comanche chief, Quanah Parker, died Wednesday at Anadarko after several months' illness. Rosary will be at 7:30 p.m. today in the Crews Funeral Home chapel here. Funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church here. Burial will be in Cache Creek Comanche Cemetery.
  
  Mr. Parker was born Oct. 15, 1889, near Cache. He was married to Helen Fisher on April 7, 1919, in Oklahoma City. He farmed southeast of here until 1949, and moved north of Apache in 1955.
  
  He was a member of the Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church and the Rinker-Mason American Legion Post.
  
  Survivors include his wife of the home; five sons: Edward and Henry Parker, both of Apache, Kenneth William Parker, Hobart, Elmer Thomas Parker, Payette, Idaho, and Charles Parker, Lubbock, Tex.; two daughters, Mrs. Tresa Evanson, Amarillo, Tex., and Mrs. Ruth Lynn, Euless, Tex.; 24 grandchildren, and seven great-grand-children.
  
  Parents:
  Quanah Parker (1845 - 1911)
  Takewm Aerwuth (1853 - 1948)
  Spouse Helen Marie Fisher Parker (1897 - 1989)
  
  Children:
  Teresa Ann Parker Boles (1927 - 2013)
  Henry Leon Parker (1930 - ____)
  Ruth Parker Lynn (1932 - 2004)
  
  Burial Cache Creek Cemetery, Caddo County, Oklahoma
  
  Created by Cokeman2 Jul 28, 2010
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #55558811, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=55558811
  -------------------------------

Sources

• 1. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 2. 1914 Indian Census Rolls, Comanche Tribe, Oklahoma
  • 1 July, Kiowa Agency, Comanche Tribe, page 2
• 3. 1905 Indian Census Rolls, Comanche Tribe, Oklahoma
  • 30 June, Kiowa Agency, Page 22
• 4. 1900 Federal Census, Oklahoma Territory
  • 1 June, Apache, Kiowa & Comanche Reservation, District 25, page 29B, Methvin Institute Mission School
• 5. 1940 Federal Census, Comanche County, Oklahoma
  • 2 April, Chandler Township, District 16-4, Page 1A, Hse #3, Owns $800
• 6. 1911 Indian Census Rolls, Kiowa Comanche and Apache Tribes, Oklahoma
  • 30 June, Kiowa Agency, Comanche Tribe, Page 20
• 7. Caddo County Oklahoma Marriage Records
  • Book #6, Jul 1912 - Jun 1914; Record #59
• 8. Ancestry Discussion Boards
  • "Rudolph Fischer, Indian Captive"
• 9. Parker Heritage Website
• 10. Divorce Records, OKGenWeb