Rev. Milton Dorn Parker

The Reverend Milton Dorn Parker, 83, passed away peacefully in his home on Sunday, April 30, 2017, while his three daughters sang him into heaven with his favorite hymns. The family will receive visitors at Berry Funeral Home, 1265 Washington Highway, Elberton, GA, from 6-8 p.m. on Friday, May 5. Funeral services will be held at First Baptist Church, 132 Heard St., Elberton, GA, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 6. The casket also will be in placed at the church from 1-1:50 p.m. prior to the service for anyone else wishing to pay their respects. Entombment will follow the service at Forest Hills Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made payable to North Greenville University with “Milton and Lena Parker Christian Ministry Scholarship Fund” written on the memo line and mailed to Office of Advancement, North Greenville University, P.O. Box 1892, Tigerville, SC 29688. Or, donations may also be made to the Alzheimer’s Association with “in memory of Rev. Milton and Lena Parker” written on the memo line and mailed to 106 SRP Drive, Suite A, Evans, GA 30809.

Milton was born in Columbia, SC, on Sept. 16, 1933, to Isaac Newton “Newt” and Juanita Pearl Marbert Parker. As a teenage boy, he received God’s call into the ministry while riding his bicycle delivering newspapers on his paper route. Upon graduating from Eau Claire High School in 1952, Milton’s pastor helped him to be accepted into North Greenville College (now University) in Tigerville, SC, to begin studying for the ministry.

It was at North Greenville where Milton and Lena met and then married on October 24, 1953. After graduating in 1954, Milton was ordained and began his ministry at Lima Baptist Church in Traveler’s Rest, SC. A year later he moved to Nine Forks Baptist Church in Dacusville, SC. Before moving again in 1956, they had started their family with the birth of Betty Lenora.
Later that year, the Parker family moved to Mountain View Baptist Church in Spartanburg, SC, where two more daughters, Rebecca Sue and Beverly Ann were born. By 1959, Milton also had earned his bachelor’s degree from Furman University in Greenville, SC. In 1960, they next moved to Blandwood Baptist Church in Rocky Mount, NC, which enabled him to attend Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. In 1963, he accepted a call to Second Baptist Church in Henderson, NC, where he served for three years while also graduating from the seminary in 1965.

In 1966, he moved the family back to the SC Upstate to serve as pastor at Crosswell Baptist Church in Greenville, SC. Three years later in 1969, they moved again to Woodfield Park Baptist Church in Columbia, SC, where Milton served for six years and launched a radio and a bus ministry, renovated a fellowship hall, reached out to Fort Jackson soldiers, and took a stand on race relations of that day by ordaining an African American as deacon and having joint services with a sister African American church.

The next move came in 1975, when Milton moved the family to the SC Low Country to pastor Old Fort Baptist Church in Summerville, SC. During this time he reached out to the Charleston Naval base sailors, finished construction on a new educational building, purchased more property to expand the parking lot, and increased church membership.

In 1979, the Lord called Milton to Tabernacle Baptist Church in Union, SC, where he served the next ten years. In addition to ministering to the community and building a family life center at the church, Milton was active in the SC Baptist Convention.

Then in 1989, Milton and Lena left South Carolina for Elberton, GA, to become the Director of Missions for the Hebron Baptist Association. Upon arrival, he completed construction on the existing office in Bowman and served the next 15 years being a pastor’s pastor to over 50 churches. After retiring at the end of 2003 with over 50 years in the ministry, he served as interim pastor to several area churches including Falling Creek Baptist Church from 2006-07 as well as Fortsonia and Faith Baptist Churches.

Milton is predeceased by his parents Newt and Juanita Parker, his brother-in-law Alvin Decker, and by his sons-in-law Timothy Levi Smith and William Henry Napier Ellis, Jr. Two days later his wife of 63-1/2 years, Lena Hill Parker joined him in heaven.

He is survived by his daughters Betty Lenora Parker Ellis of Greenville, SC; Rebecca “Becky” Sue Parker Westmoreland (Boyd Lyndon Westmoreland) of Elberton, GA; and Beverly Ann Parker Smith of Chesnee, SC; by his sister, Eva Elizabeth Parker Decker, and nephew, Milton Timothy Decker of Columbia, SC.

He also is survived by four grandchildren Britney Elizabeth Westmoreland (Cory Walton Grimes) and Parker Benjamin “Ben” Westmoreland of Elberton, GA; Timothy Hunter Smith of Mooresville, NC; and Parker Levi Smith of Chesnee, SC. In addition, he is survived by one great grandson Ason Wes Grimes of Elberton, GA.

Berry Funeral Home & Crematory of Elberton is in charge of the funeral arrangements for Rev. Milton Dorn Parker.