by Keshia Purdy
Submitted to the Banner
Born Daisy Bell Stewart to Russie Brashers & Sinclair Stewart, September 23, 1937. She is the 3rd of 6 children, 2 living siblings Richard Covington and Patricia Warren. Daisy went to Lincoln schools, where she was an avid basketball player. As a teenager she picked and chopped cotton for $3 a day.
Later, she worked at Lake View Dining Room as a waitress, Tiptonville Café as a short order cook, a housekeeper, and at the community center for the Elders. Ms. Daisy married Louis Bunner in the late 1960’s, went on to have 5 children, Joann, Frankie, Louis Edward, Michael, and Elaine. She has 8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. In 1973 Mrs. Daisy met and married Joe Parks and they were married 43 years.
In the 1970’s Mrs. Daisy attended Newbern State Area Vo Tech School, now known as TCAT Newber, to become a nursing assistance. Mrs. Parks was employed by the Lake County Health Department in 1973 as a Certified Medical Assistant, where she retired in 2000 of 27 years. As a Lake Countian, Mrs. Daisy has been very active in her community and she has many accolades and achievements.
Mrs. Daisy is and has been a board member of many auxiliaries, in which at times she would be the only black in attendance. Mrs. Parks was a member of the Tiptonville Leadership Board, Tiptonville Library Board, The Northwest Headstart board for all four years. She currently holds a long residing seat on the Tiptonville Main Street Association, Tiptonville Planning Board and Tiptonville Board of Alderman, Mrs. Daisy has been a part of these boards for 27 years.
In 1996, she made history to become the first black woman to be elected alderman in Lake County. Mrs. Daisy is also active in her church where she attends at St. John #2 MB Church.
She is the womens class Sunday school teacher, former Adult Choir President and a member of the trinity Baptist association. In her spare time, Mrs. Daisy loves to read, work cross word puzzles, watch the Game Show Network, Wheel of Fortune, Hallmark movies, Perry Mason, and she loves to cook, especially Sunday Diner, when most of her children and grandchildren come to enjoy her beloved fried cornbread patties with any meal and according to her granddaughter Keshia, she has the absolute best and original coleslaw.
She is not only a precious treasured gem to her family, Mrs. Daisy is also a pillar of the Lake County Community, who has given her time and talent to help anyone in need and to be of service of all she encounters.
