Jodie Clark Parmer

Jodie inherited the farmland and farmhouse his dad had built. He later married his 1st wife, Ophelia Mae Bowen in 1917. He was 23 and she was 19. They had 11 children together between 1919 and 1939: Gladys Glema Parmer (Pilgrim) 1919-2000 Clarence Parmer 1920-2012 Tomie Lou Parmer (Bone) 1923-2012 Artie Clyde Parmer 1924-1966 Runell Parmer (Sammons) 1926-2004 Bettie V. (Mize) (Huntsinger) 1929- Floyd Jackson "Pete" Parmer 1930-2002 Evelyn Parmer (Smith) 1933-2000 Marvolene Parmer (Hannah) (Sellars) (Boyd) 1937-1994 Twins: Billy James and Bobby Wade Parmer (1939-1939) Jodie, Ophelia, and the children lived at County Rd 462, Woodland, AL 36280 on the family farm. Due to the depression and the fall of cotton prices, they were poor cotton farmers. The only thing they could afford to give the children at Christmas was a new pair of shoes and a nickle for the movies. If they had a good year, the children also got an orange which was considered a huge treat. In addition to farming, Jodie drove a school bus to help supplement their income. And the kids, of course, all worked in the cotton fields growing up. When Clarence was older and had his family, he told his daughter, Pam, that it hurt his back when he looked at cotton fields. The farmhouse they lived in was built by Jodie's father, William Monroe "Billie" Parmer, which Jodie inherited. It had 2 bedrooms, a sitting room, and a kitchen with a pump for water and a pot belly stove. The kids all had to share the one bed. There was an outhouse, a barn, a few chickens, a few cows, and 1 donkey. The land was really not very good for growing crops. It was mostly rocky and hilly. Sadly, Ophelia's life was cut short at the age of 41. She passed away during childbirth on Aug 1, 1969, while giving life to twin boys Billy James and Bobby Wade. Again, tragedy struck on Aug 17, 1969, taking the life of Billy James and again on Aug 19, 1939, taking Bobby Wade. The cause of their death was starvation. This was a very dark time for the family and when the kids were older and had their own families, they had a hard time dealing with this subject if it was brought up in conversation. Jodie Clark then married a 2nd wife, Bessie Stevens, in 1940 and they had 3 children: Norma Dean Parmer (Moncus), Wilma Dean Parmer (Anderson), and Offie Leory Parmer (1941-2015). Unfortunately, Bessie didn't want anything to do with Jodie and Ophelia's 9 living children which she married into. She was very mean to them. One example is when she took all of Ophelia's belongings, piled them up on the dirt ground in front of the farmhouse, and made the children watch as she set fire to their mom's belongings. Even so, the kids still tried to love Bessie but she wouldn't return the affection. When they were older and left home, and then went back to visit their dad at the farm, Bessie still wouldn't have anything to do with them. She just sat rocking on their front porch and would only talk to her 3 biological kids she had with Jodie. She wouldn't even offer them anything to drink. The original farmhouse has since crumbled down. Bessie's son, Offie Leroy, inherited the farm which angered some of Ophelia's children because they had asked for small portions of the property. When Ophelia's children all married, they all migrated to Scottdale, Georgia, and worked at the Scottdale Cotton Mills. They all lived closed to each other in Scottdale and Decatur, Georgia. Jodie's siblings are: sister Mary Edna Parmer (1897-1979) brother Burl Parmer (1899-1910) brother Virgil Franklin Parmer (1902-1961) sister Clara Parmer (1903-1916) brother Stewart Parmer (1907- ) brother Hoyt "Wheeler" Parmer (1910-1984) brother Howard Benjamin or Howard D Parmer (1915-1987) 1900 Census shows Jodie and his family lived in Randolph County, Lamar, Alabama. 1930 Census shows address as County Rd 462, Woodland, Randolph County, Alabama 36280. 1940 Census shows he is married to 2nd wife Bessie S. Stevens and they lived at 3B Community Rd, Lamar, Randolph County, Alabama. Last residence shows Jodie's address as 36280 Woodland, Randolph County, Alabama. He lived in a trailer next to the original farmhouse before he passed away. He is buried at Bethel East Cemetery in Graham, Randolph County, Alabama, next to his 2nd wife Bessie. His first wife Ophelia Bowen Parmer is also buried at Bethel East Cemetery but in a separate gravesite.