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Obituary for Jim Parkes
James “Jim” Lee Parkes, age 82, of Oakland, IL, went home to be with the Lord on May 4, 2018 at Charleston Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center. Jim was born March 14, 1936, in Seven Hickory Township in Coles County, to Leon and Mary Frances (Sollars) Parkes. He married Martha G. Evans on December 2, 1957, she preceded him in death in 2003. Jim was a lifelong resident of Oakland and a member of Oak Grove Baptist Church. He was a graduate of Arcola High School and Eastern Illinois University. He began his career in his early twenties as a school principal at the Hindsboro Grade School, thereafter as a guidance counselor at Paris High School, and finished his career as Assistant Principal at Urbana High School. After retirement, he enjoyed managing Norton Knolls golf course for eleven years. He served the Oakland community as both Alderman and Mayor. He loved aviation, held a private pilot’s license, and owned his own powered parachute. Jim loved the Lord, his family, his friends, and his community. Jim was preceded in death by his parents and his wife. He is survived by his four children: Mary M. (Douglas) Mech of Ballwin, MO; Audrey (David) Jorns of Oakland, IL; Allen (Carie) Parkes of Wauconda, IL; John (Mary) Parkes of Camargo, IL; seven grandchildren: Amanda Mech of Sacramento, CA; Katie Christianson of Kansas City, KS; Joshua Parkes of Wauconda, IL; Amalia Jorns-Clarke of Boston, MA; Benjamin Jorns of Ann Arbor, MI; Lyndsay Chevalier of Shelbyville, IL; Lauren May of Rochester, MN; and seven great-grandchildren. Visitation will be held Thursday, May 10, 2018 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., with funeral services beginning at 1:00 p.m., at Krabel Funeral Home in Oakland, IL. Burial will follow at Oakland Cemetery. For those who wish, memorials may be made to the Oakland Hindsboro Charitable Foundation.
