Della Mae Parke

Della May Parke was born November 6, 1915, in Declo, Idaho, to parents Anson Parke and Julia Alberta Harris Parke. In the 1920 U.S. Federal Census, Della was 4 years 11 months old, living with her parents and siblings listed there as: Anson, 40, Julia, 37, Gilbert, 18, Vasco, 16, Burley, 14, Ivan, 11, Nellie, 9, Novi, 8 years 2 months, Elmer, 6 years 8 months, Mont, 2, and Ruby, 8 months old. Della's father, Anson, was working as a farmer. By 1930, the family was still living in Declo, and were listed there as: Anson, 50, Julia, 47, Norvin J., 18, Elmer M., 17, Della M., 14, Mont D., 12, Ruby, 11 and Charles R. Parke, 8 years old. Anson was still working as a farmer, and Norvin was working as a farm laborer, probably on the family farm. Anson and Julie had been married for nearly 30 years. Sadly, five years later, Anson Parke died, and left his wife with 4 children under the age of 21 years old to raise on her own.

The summer after her father died, Della, at the age of 20 years old, married Lester Floyd Hogge on July 11, 1936, in Kimberly, Twin Falls, Idaho. They had one daughter, Barbara Lee Hogge, the following year. Lester Floyd Hogge was born August 12, 1912, in Ogden, Weber, Utah, to parents William Wallace Hogge, who was born September 9, 1888, in West Weber, Utah, and Synthia Florence Hoggan, born July 23, 1891, in Ogden, Utah.

In the 1940 U.S. Federal Census for Burley, Cassia, Idaho, Lester and Della were living at 136 South Overland Street in a home they owned valued at $1,000.00, and were listed there as: Lester, 25, Della, 23, and Barbara, 3 years old. Lester had one year of college, and Della had four years of high school. Lester was working as a clerk and doing repairs at a wholesale auto parts company. For the 52 weeks Lester worked at 45 hours per week in 1939 he received income of $1,300.00.

A U.S. City Directory for 1951 shows Lester and Della living at 219 Banner Street in Nampa, Idaho. Lester was working as a mechanic at Nordling Auto Parts. Another directory for 1953 shows they were living in Nampa, Idaho, at 103 Chestnut Street, and Lester was working as a parts man at Nordling Parts. Their 16 year old daughter, Barbara Lee Hogge was also living with them and was also listed in the directory.

Living nearby was a Carl A. and Barbara L. Hogge, probably Lester's brother and sister-in-law, and Carl was working as a foreman for Amalgamated Sugar, and they were living at 616 15th Avenue South. A few other Hogge's were also listed in the directory, including Don J. and his wife Shirley F., living at 524 Canyon South, and an Edmond and Jeannine living at 1104 Dewey, and an Emily J., widow of J.E. Hogge, living at 119 Elder and working for Birdseye, but I'm not sure if they were all related.

In a 1955 U.S. City Directory, Lester and Della were living at 532 Canyon in Caldwell, Idaho, and Lester was working as a counter salesman for Nording Parts Company. Carl and Barbara Hogge were living at 508 7th South, and he was working as a beet end foreman for the Amalgamated Sugar Company, and she was also working for the sugar company.

I don't know where Della and her family lived throughout the 1960's, 1970's nor the 1980's, but her husband passed away May 20, 1989, in Nampa, Canyon, Idaho, and was buried in the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Caldwell. Then at the age of 77, Della married Gilbert Clements, June 9, 1993, in Caldwell, Canyon County, Idaho. Gilbert passed away ten years later in 2003. Sadly, her daughter, Barbara Lee Hogge Landis, also passed away the following year in 2004. I believe Barbara and her husband, Mr. Landis, had several children, but I don't know how many or when they were born.

In about 1993 Della Hogge Clements was living in Quartzsite, La Paz County, Arizona, probably with her second husband. When she passed away at the age of 90 years old, on October 9, 2006, her last social security benefit check had been sent to an address in Nampa, Canyon County, Idaho. However her Find A Grave memorial indicates that Della passed away while living in Quartzsite, Arizona. Della was buried with her husband, Lester, in the Hillcrest Memorial Gardens Cemetery, Caldwell, Canyon County, Idaho, Plot: Garden of Good Shepherd.

Obituary dated October 11, 2006, available www.Idahostatesman.com/obituaries. Della was preceded in death by her parents, Anson and Julie Harris Parke. She married Lester Floyd Hogge who preceded her in death in 1989. They had one child, Barbara Lee Hogge Landis who also preceded her mother, Della, in death in 2004. Della married second Gilbert Clements who also preceded her in death in 2003. Her survivors include grandchildren.

I could not find the obituary mentioned above on the Idaho Statesman website, but an U.S. Obituary Collection Record from Ancestry.com, mentions that her obituary was published in the South Idaho Press in Burley, Idaho, and locations mentioned in the obituary (shown in the summary not the actual obit) were Burley and Nampa, Idaho, as well as Quartzsite, Arizona. Other persons mentioned in the obituary were: Austin, Justin, David, Lucas, and Cyndi, probably Della's grandchildren by her daughter, Barbara Lee Hogge Landis, as well as Michelle, Tim, Cheryl, Melissa, Anson, Harold Landis, Della's mother, Julia Parke Harris, and Gilbert Clements, Della's second husband. I wish I could find the actual obituary!