Obituary of Oscar Junior Parnell

Oscar Junior Parnell, age 88, passed away on September 19, 2020, in Duncan, Okla. Graveside services will be held at 2:00 PM, Thursday, September 24, 2020 at Hillcrest Memorial Park, in Ardmore, Okla. Oscar was born on February 14, 1932, to Oscar Parnell and Mary (Odell) Parnell, in Ardmore, Okla. He graduated from Wapanucka High School with the class of 1952. He enlisted in The United States Army on November 13, 1952 and served as a radio operator in The Korean War. He then transferred to The Army Reserves for eight years and later was honorably discharged. After his discharge, Oscar enjoyed following work on the Pipelines on the east coast. He became licensed as a Beautician and Cosmetologist in the 60s; owning and operating several beauty salons and Beauty Colleges in Atoka, Okla., and Paris, TX. Oscar then owned and operated his own Motel in Idabel, Okla. After he sold, he took a position with the Chickasaw Nation in the housing division as a coordinator. That led to his restoration work of the Old Artesian Motor Lodge in Sulphur, Okla., helping to bring it back to its former glory. After leaving that position, he purchased a small trucking industry driving short hall in the Oklahoma and Texas area until his retirement in 1998. He was preceded in death by parents, two sisters, Mary Lewis and Edith Parnell, and two brothers, Phillip “Butch” Parnell and Vernon Parnell. Oscar is survived by his two brothers; Jim Parnell and wife, Sheri of Milburn, Okla., James Parnell of Bromide, Okla., two sisters; Virginia Harris of Durant, Okla. and Patricia Fitzpatrick, of Savannah, TX. Numerus nieces and nephews and a host of Family and Friends.