Ella Sue Gates Parker

Ella Sue Gates Parker was born August 7, 1934, in Winnfield, LA and passed from this earth on Friday, July 6, 2018, at the age of 83 years. Visitation will be Monday, July 9th at First Baptist Church of Ruston, LA from 5-7 p.m. in the Sanctuary. Her funeral will be held on Tuesday, July 10th at 10 a.m. at Lakeshore Baptist Church in Monroe with visitation with the family before the service. Interment will be in Mulhearn Memorial Park Cemetery in Monroe, LA.
Sue was the eldest daughter of Morris Gladden Gates and Gertrude Mixon Gates. As a youth, she was very active in FHA and 4-H, winning multiple state and local awards, holding numerous officer positions, and even winning a National Award for dress design and creation. She was Miss Winnfield in 1951, and was Salutatorian of Dodson High School in 1952. She attended LSU where she met her husband of 59 years, Doyle Rehfeldt Parker. On June 2, 1953, they were united in matrimony and moved to Monroe, LA, where they were owners of Snow White Cleaners, and were blessed with 5 children. Sue attended Northeast Louisiana College before the birth of her children.
The Parkers joined College Place Baptist Church in February of 1954, where Sue was extremely active serving as Sunday School director and was a Sunday School teacher of 15 year olds, College and Senior Adults. She was known as the “Puppet Lady” since she led many groups of teenagers in a puppet ministry that traveled all over the south and even represented Louisiana at the 1974 World’s Fair in Spokane, WA. After many years of service at CPBC, she moved her membership to Lakeshore Baptist Church where she was very active in her beloved “Cow Class”. She moved to Ruston in 2015 and became a member of First Baptist Church of Ruston where she made many new friends. Sue loved to cook & sew, and delighted in making costumes for any occasion, and was an accomplished pianist. She led many groups throughout her life: PTA at Lakeshore School, WMU at church, Brownie Troop leader, and served as an officer of the NLU School of Music Support Group, and an officer and member of Chief Tusquahoma Chapter DAR and Long Leaf Pine Chapter DAR, Newcomers and Friends of Ruston, and the Woman’s Department Club of Ruston, LA. She brought sunshine with her smile wherever she went and will be greatly missed by her family and friends.
She is preceded in death by her parents, M.G. and Gertrude Gates; her husband, Doyle R. Parker; and 2 sons, Gregory Samuel Parker and Murray Orion Parker.
Survivors include a sister, Ada Lynn Gates Leonard; 2 sons, Dr. Doyle Randall Parker and wife Avee, and Dr. Waylon Morris Parker and wife Peggy; a daughter, Melissa Susan Parker Wiygul and husband Gary; grandchildren, Adam Everett Parker and wife Angela, Suzanne Kathryn Parker Causey and husband Chad, and Henry Addison Wiygul; great grandchildren, Mia Causey, Nathan Causey, Aidalyn Parker, Parker Causey, Annaleigh Parker, and great grandson due in November; a nephew, Kevin Leonard and wife Kathy, and their children, Eamon, Emma and Liam; and a niece, Margaret Leonard Wright and husband Ian, and their children, Andrew and Clairelynn.
Donations may be made to the Children’s Building Fund of First Baptist Church of Ruston or to Louisiana Tech University.
Online Registry/Condolences: www.mulhearnfuneralhome.com
Mulhearn Funeral Home
Sterlington Road
Monroe, LA