Emily H. (this could have been a transcriber error for M, or it could have been a previous maternal name) was the daughter of John M. and Mary Ann ADAMS ELDRIDGE, born 1836 (no date) in Gloucester County, New Jersey.

On 7 Nov 1855 in Davenport, Scott, Iowa, she became the 2nd wife of Dr. Wallace William PARKER who was born at Onondaga County, New York in Jan 1818. He was trained as a printer, but not finding that trade to his liking, went to medical school and became an allopathic doctor. He married and practiced medicine for 14 years in Ohio, before he moved to Davenport after the death of his first wife, (no name).

Dr. PARKER owned a hardware store which burned to the ground in 1857 at the time of his marriage to Emily. In 1860, he began a combined medical practice and drug store which he was forced to close because of epileptic seizures. He retired to the country, 3 miles from the city limits on Jersey Ridge Road, but remained active in Davenport business affairs, serving as vicepresident of the Davenport Savings Bank, and a director of the National Insurance Company.

They had: Ida PARKER b 1857 (no date) in Davenport...nothing further is known; Anna H. PARKER born 1860 (no date) in Davenport. She died of typhoid on 2 Sept 1869 and is buried in Oakdale.

On 8 Aug 1868, at age 49, Dr. PARKER was killed in a railroad accident at Ames, Iowa. He fell under the wheels of a moving train.

He is buried in Davenport's Oakdale Cemetery on his father-in-law's lot. Buried beside him is John Earl PARKER, a son by his first marriage who was born in Ohio in 1853 and died 3 Aug 1869 in Geneseo, Henry, Illinois of typhoid.

Emily ELDRIDGE PARKER married Alexander SMART 17 Oct 1872 in Davenport and shortly thereafter left the area.