Shirley Parks

Shirley Parks
Member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 44th district
In office
September 1, 1978 – January 3, 1979
Preceded byJack Mills
Succeeded byRex Haberman
Personal details
Born(1939-06-17)June 17, 1939
Denver, Colorado
DiedNovember 4, 2024(2024-11-04) (aged 85)
Alexandria, Virginia
PartyDemocratic
SpouseM. Douglas Parks
OccupationCivic activist, veterinary clinic assistant

Shirley Ann Parks (née Singleton, June 17, 1939 – November 4, 2024) was a Democratic politician from Nebraska who briefly served as a member of the Nebraska Legislature from the 44th district from 1978 to 1979.

Early life

Shirley Singleton was born in Denver, Colorado, in 1939.[1] Her father, James Singleton, served in the Colorado House of Representatives.[2] She married Doug Parks, a veterinarian, and settled in Ogallala, Nebraska.[2] Parks was elected to the Ogallala School Board, and served as the chairman of the Keith County Democratic Party.[2]

Nebraska Legislature

In 1978, State Senator Jack Mills, who had declined to seek re-election, resigned from office to become the executive director of the Nebraska Association of County Officials.[3] Governor J. James Exon appointed Parks to serve out the remaining four months of Mills's term,[2] and she was sworn in on September 1, 1978.[4] When Parks joined the legislature, she became the fourth woman in the body, the first time in state history that four women were consecutively serving in the legislature.[5] Parks declined to be a write-in candidate in the general election.[6]

Post-legislative career

In 1982, Parks ran for Keith County Clerk, challenging incumbent Clerk Leota Wood in the Democratic primary.[7] Wood defeated Parks by a wide margin, receiving 594 votes to Parks's 154 and Joan Ervin's 114.[8]

Death

Parks died on November 4, 2024.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 "Shirley A. Parks". Draucker Funeral Home. 2024. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Shirley Parks Appointed As 44th District State Senator". Keith County News. Ogallala, Nebraska. August 28, 1978. p. 1. Retrieved April 5, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  3. ↑ "Mills hired by county officials group". Lincoln Star. August 22, 1978. p. 5. Retrieved April 5, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ O'Donnell, Patrick J., ed. (1979). Legislative Journal of the State of Nebraska: Eighty-Sixth Legislature, First Session (PDF). Vol. 1. p. 4. Retrieved April 5, 2026.
  5. ↑ "Shirley Parks Takes Office". Omaha World-Herald. September 6, 1978. p. 2. Retrieved April 5, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ↑ "New senator says she is not promoting write-in campaign". North Platte Telegraph. September 11, 1978. p. 10. Retrieved April 5, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ "Parks seeks Keith office". North Platte Telegraph. March 10, 1982. p. 2. Retrieved April 5, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ↑ "Area results". North Platte Telegraph. May 13, 1982. p. 20. Retrieved April 5, 2026 – via Newspapers.com.
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