Evelyn Grace Murch Barber Parks, 92, of St. Louis, Missouri passed away in the early hours of Thursday, February 27, 2026.
She was born in St. Louis, Missouri on September 20, 1933, to the late Alanson and Grace Elizabeth Murch. She graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1952 and received her associate’s degree from Blackburn College in Carbondale, Illinois in 1954.
On July 10, 1954, she married Cecil Barber of St. Louis, Missouri. They were married for 40 years until his death in 1994. The couple had three children that they raised in the Concord Village area of St. Louis. Evelyn was actively involved with her church and raised her children at Concord Baptist Church and then was a Charter Member with Cecil at South County Baptist Church. She also enjoyed traveling, reading, sewing and many other activities with her family. Her biggest desire was to make her children independent, especially her oldest daughter who was born with mental and physical disabilities.
Once Evelyn’s youngest was in school, she went back to college and studied to be a nurse. It took her 10 years to earn first her LPN, then her RN in Nursing. She was able to graduate 2 weeks before her son graduated from college.
Evelyn was widowed at 63. She married long-time friend, Ken Parks in 1998, who passed away earlier this year.
Evelyn is survived by her oldest daughter Kathryn of Freeburg, Illinois, David (Leslie) of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Martha (Ryan) of Meridian, Idaho, as well as 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren from her first marriage and many more from her second marriage.
She is proceeded in death by her parents, husbands Cecil Barber and Kenneth Parks, and her sister, Trudy Anthony.
A Memorial Service was held at South County Baptist Church on Sunday, March 1, 2026. Under the direction of Kutis South County Chapel.