Obituary: Terry, James Parks
He always said his life was a storm from birth.
He grew up during the depression and worked in the fields with his mom, dad, and two older brothers as a migrant worker, picking everything from cotton to beans.
The migrant work took their family to California and eventually to Wapato, Washington in the fall of 1937.
Jim worked in an ordinance depot in Hermiston, Oregon for the Civil Service handling all ammunition from .22 shells to four ton bombs.
He wanted to enlist in the navy but he wasn’t 21 (which you had to be at that time) and his mom wouldn’t sign for him until he turned 20.
He enlisted in the Navy in September of 1942 and took his basic training at Farragut Naval Training Station in northern Idaho.
He was assigned to the USS Daly, a destroyer, during WWII and fought bravely during many Japanese attacks.
The ship was north of Okinawa and the Japanese suicide planes were coming in by the hundreds.
Nine of them peeled off and starting circling his ship and coming in from different directions.
One of the planes came over Jim’s gun and if he had not ducked, the right wheel would have hit him in the chest.
The plane went over the ship and into the water.
Jim was in the Philippian’s when MacArthur gave his “I Have Returned” speech.
He helped our troops land on the island for the Battle of Iwo Jima, toured Nagasaki after the A bomb was dropped, picked up survivors from the water after American ships were sunk, dodged torpedo’s, sunk several Japanese ships, and fought in many battles between Nagasaki and the Solomon Islands before being honorably discharged at the end of the war in 1945.
Our dad was and is a true military hero.
Dad married Bernadean Eudaily in a church wedding in Wapato, Washington on September 21, 1946 and they both attended Northwest Bible Institute in Kirkland, Washington.
Dad worked straight graveyard at the U.S. Plywood Mill in Seattle while attending bible school.
After bible school, he pastored churches in Loon Lake, Kettle Falls, Davenport, Medical Lake, Newport, and Chewelah through 1978 when he retired from the ministry.
While working as a pastor, he acquired his barber’s license and eventually became the Instructor/Manager of Reeds Barber College from 1980 to 1983.
Dad owned and operated a barber shop in Medical Lake for many years and finished his career as a barber from the small shop in his living room.
He gave his last haircut approximately 1 Ă‚Ë?
weeks before his death.
He loved his guys and would cut their hair any time of the day if needed.
Jim is preceded in death by his wife Bernadean.
He is survived by his children Dale Terry, Wayne Terry, Serene (Chuck) Fisher, and Serill Wohr, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.
Graveside services will be Friday, February 27, 2015 at 9 AM at the Washington State Veterans Cemetery in Medical Lake.
A Memorial Service will be on Saturday, February 28, 2015 at 1 PM Lake City Assembly of God Church, 400 E. Grace, Medical Lake, WA.