       |
 |
       |
 |
 |
Roy and Lonnie Parks came from their home in Oxford, Mississippi, to Paden, Oklahoma, in 1913 and opened a general store. In 1916, they moved to Prague and opened their store on Broadway. This location proved to be the home of Parks Brothers Hardware for over 80 years. In 1919, brothers Cliff and Jack Parks joined Roy and Cliff. Lonnie and Jack moved to Dustin, Oklahoma, and established businesses there while Roy and Cliff remained in Prague. During the early years, it was standard practice for hardware and mercantile stores to sell caskets to the general public on a "carry out" basis. In the mid 20's, Cliff saw the need to offer the additional service of undertaking. Accordingly, they began offering caskets with or without undertaking. The business was named Parks Brothers Hardware and Undertaking Company. Cliff arranged for a younger brother, W. R. Parks, to attend mortuary school in Dallas, Texas, and become a licensed embalmer. On January 1, 1928, W. R. Parks began doing the embalming for the funeral homes in Prague and Okemah. In 1936, Roy and Cliff decided the time had come to move the undertaking operation out of the hardware store to a freestanding building. They constructed a new brick building located at 1008 North Broadway in Prague. This building was the first building in the area built strictly for a funeral home. It served as Parks Brothers Funeral Home until 1982. In 1960, Asa Smith joined the firm as manager of the Parks Brothers Funeral Home in Okemah. Later, with the help of J. P. Parks, he purchased the Wilson Funeral Home in Harrah. In 1976, Jim Parks and his family acquired the ownership of Parks Brothers Hardware and Undertaking Company. Jim managed the funeral home while the other brothers looked after the hardware store. In 1982, a dedication ceremony was held for the present location of the funeral home. In 1985, Parks Brothers Funeral Home of Prague merged with the Curry Funeral Homes of Chandler, Stroud, Meeker, and Wellston. Following the death of Asa Smith in February of 2000, Jim Parks and Cass Smith decided to continue the long-standing association of their families and formed Smith-Parks Funeral Service Centers. Today, Jim Parks and Cass Smith operate the Funeral Service Centers in Harrah, Prague, Chandler, and Stroud along with the chapels in Meeker and Wellston. |
 |
 |
     |
Main |About Us | General Information | Services | Merchandise Pre-Arrangement | Grief Resources | Obituaries ©2003 Smith-Parks Funeral Service Centers and FuneralNet 
|