{"id":107589,"date":"2025-07-17T05:00:10","date_gmt":"2025-07-17T11:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uswps06.newsmemory.com\/northernplainsindependent\/news\/2025\/07\/17\/don-parks\/?destination=northern-plains-independent"},"modified":"2025-07-17T05:00:47","modified_gmt":"2028-01-03T05:00:47","slug":"don-parks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northernplainsindependent.com\/2025\/07\/17\/don-parks\/?destination=northern-plains-independent","title":{"rendered":"Don Parks"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\n\t Don Kenneth Parks, a lifelong Christian Vietnam Veteran, went to be with his Lord and Savior on June 26, 2025, after a hard fought battle against the effects of exposure to Agent Orange. His bright blue eyes are sparkling and sharp again and he is walking Heavens pathways with family and friends and a huge happy smile.
\n\t Don was born on Sept. 21, 1943, an equinox baby, to Kenneth and Beulah (Torrison) Parks in Wolf Point, Mont. He was the first little brother of three older sisters, Audrey, Bonnie and Cleone, with the youngest brother Everon following a few years later completing the family.
\n\t The family would live in a few different locations around the northeast corner of Montana. Don and his friends growing up had a love of guns and hunting and every spare minute possible was spent traveling the back roads of McCone and Roosevelt counties.
\n\t After his high school graduation in 1962, Don was drafted, and went through basic training in Fort Ord, Calif., and was there when JFK was assassinated. Don served his country in the Vietnam War with honor and pride and it would be the only time he ever left the shores of America.
\n\t After his discharge in 1966, he was driving along Nickwall Road and passed the Whitmer farm. Two brothers were teaching their sister, Mary Ann, how to shoot a rifle. Never missing a chance to shoot, Don pulled in and the pretty little gal wasn\u2019t able to hit a rock on top of a fence post with the rifle she was using. Don pulled out his reliable .243 Winchester Featherweight bolt action with Leopold scope and told her to put the dot on the rock and squeeze the trigger. The rock evaporated and the next 60 years is a hunting, shooting and fishing romance story for the ages. To this day, the \u201cgun that got us married\u201d is still in their home and is a symbol of their enduring relationship. They were wed in Wolf Point, Mont., on Nov. 23, 1966. Son Barron D in 1967 and daughter Gina Ann was born in 1969.
\n\t Don drove big rigs for a few years working out of Wolf Point, Glendive and Circle, Mont., until an opportunity to use the communications training and Signal Corps service from the Army happened along and he was offered a job as a lineman for Mid-Rivers Telephone Co-op. Mid-Rivers was soon expanding and in the spring of 1976, an opening in Grass Range seemed like a good idea, so Don and Mary Ann moved to Central Montana. Don would work a full 30-plusyear career with Mid-Rivers and saw several technological advances during his tenure. He climbed poles fixing copper lines, then installed thousands of miles of underground copper lines, then upgraded to fiber optic cable and then, in the twilight of his career, worked and maintained the equipment for wireless communications.
\n\t The hunting, fishing and outdoor activities around Grass Range fit Don very well and he never missed an opportunity to take his wife and kids trapshooting, scouting for big game, watching rodeos or any other anything else going on outside creating treasured memories too numerous to count. Games of cribbage, UNO and pinochle with friends and neighbors were played to all hours of the night. Don and Mary Ann could always be found cheering on Barron, Gina and all the Grass Range Rangers at their games and, later, they loved to travel and cheer on their grandchildren playing football and basketball.
\n\t Don was a proficient reloader of firearms ammunition. All calibers and gauges of shotguns and rifles were examined, tweaked and modified until the perfect load for each weapon was found. His \u201cgun room\u201d was where some of the best hunting, trapshooting, roping, and big buck memories were regaled with family and friends.
\n\t Don was led to Heaven by his parents, Ken and Buelah; sister, Audrey (James) Marcom; sister, Bonnie (George) Sagissor; sister, Cleone (Mick) Davis; sisters-in-law, Debbie Parks and Betsy Jueschke; nephews, Doug Marcom, Ken Sagissor and Tom Sagissor; and niece, Ella Marcom.
\n\t Don is survived by his supportive, caregiving, wife of 58 years, Mary Ann; brother, Everon Parks; son, Barron (Linda) Parks; daughter, Gina (Troy) Delaney; grandchildren, Joel (Kayla) Parks, Kyllisha (Nate) Swanner, Trenton Delaney and Kaylyn (Justin) Malecek; six dearly loved great-grandchildren; and numerous brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, nieces, nephews and cousins.
\n\t The celebration of Don\u2019s life was held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, July 1, 2025, at the Grass Range Cemetery.
\n\t Contributions in Don\u2019s name can be made to the Grass Range Endowment, 401 7thAve. S. #208, Lewistown, MT 59457 or the central Montana charity of your choice.
\n\t Arrangements were under the care of Creel Funeral Home. Don\u2019s family and friends can share memories and condolences at www. creelfuneralhome.com.
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