Quanah Parker’s Family Tree

Quanah Parker was likely born around 1850 at Elk Creek Winter Camp in the Wichita Mountains of what is now Oklahoma. From time to time, Quanah recalled other stories and locations where he might have been born. Throughout this article, the names you see used will probably be a combination of attempts at phonetic spellings and Anglicized versions of the names that tribe members went by or were called. Quanah’s father was Peta Nocona (born about 1820 and died about 1864) and his mother was Cynthia Ann Parker (1827 – 1871). Peta’s father is believed to be Po-bish-e-quasho “Iron Jacket” Kwasu (1790 – 1858) and his mother is thought to be White Hawk Sioux Woman. Cynthia’s parents were Silas Mercer Parker (1804 – 1836) and Lucinda Duty Parker (1801 – 1852).

It is well known that Cynthia Parker was taken captive on May 19, 1836 (about a month after the Battle of San Jacinto) at Fort Parker, just outside the current town of Groesbeck in Limestone County, Texas. A group of settlers, many of them of the same family, had built a stockade there. On that day, they were attacked by a group of warriors thought to be of Comanche, Kiowa, Wichita and Caddo tribes. Five of the settlers were killed: Silas Parker, Benjamin Parker, John Parker, Robert and Samuel Frost. Five people were taken captive: Elizabeth Duty Kellogg (an adult, and Cynthia’s aunt), siblings Cynthia and John Parker, Rachel Parker Plummer and her son James Plummer. Elizabeth appears to have been a sister of Lucinda Duty Parker. Other than that, Mrs. Kellogg’s story is somewhat unclear. Some genealogy records show Elizabeth to be the mother of Alamo casualty John Benjamin Kellogg of Gonzales.

Cynthia was nine years old at the time of the Fort Parker attack. The captives were split up among several tribal groups. Most were recovered within months or years of the attack. Cynthia, however, was taken to be the wife of Peta Nocona and remained with the Comanche tribe for about twenty-seven years. Quanah was their oldest child, followed by Pecos, a son, and Topsannah, a daughter. Peta Nocona and Cynthia lived together as husband and wife until 1863 when she was recaptured by a group of Texas Rangers and others led by future Texas Governor Sul Ross at Pease River in North Texas. It was alleged that Peta Nocona was killed there, but Quanah always maintained that the individual the Rangers and others identified as Peta was someone else and that Peta died soon afterward at another location. Quanah was a youth and eluded the Rangers and others at the Pease River. Cynthia was reportedly unhappy after being repatriated into the Anglo world, even though she was living with relatives. Cynthia died several years later. Her date of death is not conclusively verified but is usually given to be October 28, 1870. Alternatively, some accounts show it as March 1871. At the time of her death, she had been living with J. R. O’Quinn (1834 – 1916) and Orlena Parker O’Quinn (1836 – 1887). Orlena was Cynthia’s younger sister but she would have barely known her at Fort Parker because Orlena was probably a baby at the time of the attack. Quanah’s siblings, Pecos and Topsannah, had both died around 1863. Pecos had succumbed to an illness before the Pease River incident and Topsannah died in the months or years after it.

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In the Comanche tradition, polygamy was permitted, though Peta Nocona is said to have only married Cynthia. Quanah is customarily shown to have seven or eight wives during his lifetime. They were as follows, with the names of their children following, from online genealogy sources.

Weck-e-ah (1856 – 1923) – Cynthia Ann Nau-Nocca Parker Cox, We-rah-re Weyonde Parker Tahmahkera, Wanada Woon-ar-dy Parker Komah Page, Mary Pbutsi Pache Parker Clark, Alice Tope-se-up Parker Purdy.

Take-um A-er-with (1853 – 1948) – Laura Nee-dah Parker Birdsong, Esther Sunrise Parker Tabbyetchy, Len Nehio Parker, Thomas Ti-tah Parker.

Mah-cheet-to-wook-ky (1862 – 1914) – White Mah-cheet-to-wook-ky Parker, Bessie Mah-cheet-to-wook-ky Parker Aesnap.

Co-by (1865 – 1919) – John Henry Parker

To-Pay (1872 – 1963) – Kelsey To-pay Parker, Goverson Parker, Chee Parker, Lena Parker.

Cho-ny (1863 – 1913) – Harold Pah-ko Parker, Baldwin Tah-too-ah-rap Parker, Honnie Parker Kosechequetah.

Tona-nar-cy (1865 – 1931)

To-ho-yea-li (1854 – 1919) – Sarah Elizabeth Parker Hardin

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Addendum: Notes about some of the children of Quanah Parker:

Sarah Elizabeth Parker Hardin – Sarah’s mother was of the Mescalero Apache tribe. Some comments say that her mother returned to her own family fairly soon for whatever reason and that Sarah was raised by other members of the Parker family. She married Benjamin Franklin Hardin.

Cynthia Ann Parker Cox – Her obituary in the Lawton Constitution says that she and her husband operated a store near Lawton and were charter members of the Dutch Reformed Comanche Mission. Cynthia was the second wife of Emmett Edward Cox.

Weyote Parker Tahmahkera – She was one of the last of Quanah’s children to die and passed away in 1965. She was a charter member of the Comanche Reformed Church. Her husband was Louis Wrahre Tahmahkera.

Wanada Woon-ar-dy Parker Komah Page – Her obituary says that her Comanche name meant “stand up and be strong.” As a child, her limbs were weak for a time, and she walked with the assistance of crutches. She attended the Chilocco Indian School in Oklahoma and later the Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. Wanada was also a charter member of the Comanche Reformed Church. She first married Walter Komah who later died of tuberculosis. Her second husband was Harrison Page. She attended the first reunion of the Anglo and Comanche Parker families in 1953.

Mary Pbustsi Pache Parker Clark – She married Edward Hatch Clark. Mr. Clark was a carpenter, a veteran of World War I. He had served as an interpreter and was a member of the Comanche Mission.

Alice Tope-se-up Parker Purdy – She was also a charter member of the Comanche Reformed Church and taught a Sunday School class. She was married to Earl Purdy. Her obituary noted that she was adept at Indian handwork, especially with buckskin and bead craft, and that she had assisted the government field nurse as an interpreter.

Laura Nee-dah Parker Birdsong – She married Aubra Cleveland Birdsong. When she was a child, she also attended the Carlisle Indian School and two other schools, a Quaker school and one other in New Jersey. She met Mr. Birdsong at a business school in Fort Worth, Texas. Mr. Birdsong was appointed to a post at the Indian Agency. Her obituary notes that her collection of memorabilia of the Parker family was extensive and was donated by her to the Quanah Parker room of the museum at Fort Sill in 1962. She was a long time member of the Episcopal Church.

Honnie Parker Kosechequetah – She was married to Alvin Kosechequetah.

Esther Sunrise Parker Tabbyyetchy – She was married to Charles Sunrise Tabbyyetchy.

Len Ne-Hio Parker – He married Bertie Asawaynah Fisher. His obituary stated that he died as a result of injuries sustained in an automobile-pedestrian accident as he was walking one night in Anadarko. He was a member of the Native American church and the Peyote church.

Thomas Tit-tah Parker – He was the last of the children to die and passed away in 1975. Thomas was a farmer and a veteran. He was also a member of the Mother of Sorrows Catholic Church, He was married to Helen Marie Fisher at the time of his death.

Bessie Mah-cheet-to-wook-ky Parker Aesnap – She was married to Herman Asenap. Herman was an interpreter at the Comanche Indian Agency in Indiahoma. Herman also attended the Carlisle Indian School. In an interview, Herman said that his father was formerly a great warrior and scout and could not speak English. His father strongly desired for Herman to be well educated and be fluent in English.

John Henry Parker – His obituary states that he died of tuberculosis. He was married to Katie Watchcoddy. Another article said that when he was a youth, while playing with other children John Henry fell from a window at the local Comanche school and suffered some internal injuries (from which he apparently recovered).

Kelsey To-pay Parker – In one document, his occupation is listed as farmer. Kelsey died of unknown causes in 1921 at around the age of 22.

Goverson Parker – Goverson died when he was about two years old.

Chee Parker – Chee died when he was seven or eight years old.

Lena Parker – Lena died as an infant.

Baldwin Tah-too-ah-rap Parker – He married Nora Acquitsaketah Nah-kee Tabbanoid. Baldwin was also well known for wearing his hair in long traditional braids. As a youth he attended the Chilocco Indian School. His obituary said that he was a veteran, having worked in the post engineering department at Fort Sill in World War I and at Altus Air Force Base and at Liberal, Kansas during World War II. Baldwin was once active in the Native American church and that two years before he died, he joined the Comanche Indian Nazarene church.

Harold Pah-ko Parker – Harold died when he was nineteen.

White Mah-cheet-to-wook-ky Parker – Married Laura Esther Clark. He became a Methodist minister and served as pastor of several churches in that denomination.

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Sources: Newspaper articles and online genealogy applications.

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