"Mrs David Parse, well-known Mattoon resident, observed her 91stb irthday anniversary today at her home at 1721 Piatt avenue.
Still active, Mrs. Parse makes frequent trips to the MattoonPubli c Libraray and is well informed on current events. She enjoysreminisc ing with frineds on the Mattoon of many years ago, and thechanges that h ave taken place.....
For a few years during her younger days she lived at Topeka, Kan,a nd Appleton City, MO. The rest of her life has been spent inMattoon.
Mrs Parse is a member of the Mt. Zion Baptist church.
Her life motto is:
Build a fence of trust around today,
Look not out upon tomorrow.
God will give you grace to bear
Whatever comes of joy or sorrow"
The article gave details of her heritage and family history. She wast he only one of the siblings still living at that time.
And again in 1955:
"Mrs. David Parse, 98 of 1721 Piatt avenue, one of Mattoon's oldestres idents, was taken to the Atkins Nursing home Saturday afternoon byambu lance. She was reported seriously ill with a heart ailment.Mrs. Pars e, who has been living in or around Mattoon for almost acentury has se en Mattoon grow from a muddy prairie village to one ofCentral Illinois ' foremost cities."
She was 98 when she entered the nursing home and she outlived all hers iblings even though she was the oldest.
