100-year-old Idaho woman surprised with her own graduation ceremony

IDAHO FALLS — Norma Parker had no idea she was about to have her own graduation more than 80 years after leaving high school. But two weeks ago, her granddaughter surprised her with her very own ceremony at her nursing home.

In December of 1942, the St. Anthony, Idaho, native had completed all her credits and could have graduated from high school, but instead chose to marry Ray Young Parker at the end of the semester.

"I had my credits, but I didn't think even think anything about getting my diploma. I just was getting married," Parker said.

Just a few months later, her husband was drafted and went to fight in World War II in Europe. Meanwhile, Parker was pregnant with their first child, so they moved in with their parents in St. Anthony.

Over the last eight decades, Parker raised three children, gained dozens of grandchildren and great-grandchildren, worked as a receptionist for a doctor and served her community tirelessly. In July, she will turn 101.

One day recently, she told her granddaughter she had never received her high school diploma, but she didn't think much of it, since she had been able to do so much in life without it.

"I told her one day when I've lived this long without it, I guess I don't need one now," Parker said.

So on April 9, she had no clue her granddaughter had been working with the Fremont County Joint School District to track down her school records to get her a diploma and her own ceremony.

"It was a surprise, I'll tell you that, and I was proud of her and proud of me," Parker said.

Geared up in her own red cap and gown, Parker received her diploma from Superintendent Brandon Ferris and school board member Julianne Hill. Many of Parker's family members came to witness the celebratory occasion.

"I was glad to see my family, not all of them were there, but about 50 of them, I think," she said.

After 100 years of life, Parker said one of the biggest lessons she has learned is "to make do with what you have and not go into big debt for something that's not necessary."

Her son Bryan Parker explained that his mom is well known in the community, where she has lived for nearly her whole life. The assisted living center she lives in now is just half a mile from the family home they all grew up in.

"A lot of people in the community know my mother. She has been a great servant and always willing to help and involved in our church and community efforts along the way. Anytime there was anybody that needed help, she was always the first one to be there," he said.

After her husband retired, the Parkers would spend their winters in Yuma, Arizona. During this time, she made thousands of stocking caps to give to kids in the neighborhood and she often would cross the border into Mexico to hand out the hats to children for Christmas.

"She would go a year later and see some of those same kids wearing the stocking caps that she had given them the year before. It was a pretty cool act of service she was able to give to the people of Mexico, and just out of the goodness of her heart, would pass out hundreds of these caps to kids so they can stay warm in the winter," Bryan Parker said.

Parker said he is grateful for his mother's great example of "it's not what you get, but what you give."

"She's an incredible, incredible woman," he said, adding that it was wonderful to see the family come together to celebrate her "graduation."

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