Local British Home Resident Nell Parks Celebrates 100 Years
By Pasadena Independent
Published: Thursday, June 4th, 2009
One hundred years ago a baby girl, later christened Nell, was born in the city of Winnipeg, Canada to Ellen and Harry Murch. The young couple had been living out of town in a settlement, carved out of virgin forest, attached to the huge power plant where Harry worked. When the baby’s arrival became imminent, it was necessary to come into the city to the home of an English-trained midwife, at whose home Ellen stayed until she was able to return to her own home with her new baby.
Both Ellen and Harry were British; Ellen came to Canada when she was five years old; Harry, a French polisher by trade, came as an adult.
Nell was the oldest of seven surviving children, having two sisters and four brothers. Two of her brothers were born in the United States since, in 1923, when Nell was 15, her parents decided they had had enough of the long, cold winters. They moved to Pasadena where Nell attended Pasadena High School, a far cry from the two-room school house on the settlement. Three brothers served in World War II; one received the Silver Star.
Nell’s adult life included working in an insurance office for many years, teaching writing classes, working in the California State Franchise Tax Office and, for the final 10 years of her working life, in the Department of Rehabilitation Alcohol and Drug Abuse Program. She was married twice, initially to an Englishman by whom she had a son. After 10 years they divorced and Nell subsequently married an American with whom she moved back to Winnipeg temporarily. She then moved back to California after her husband died.
Nell has published many articles and has completed a novel. At one time she was a member of the League of American Pen Women and was president of the Pen Women of Point Loma. She was a member of the Star of India Auxiliary and edited their newsletter for six years.
Nell entered the British Home in Sierra Madre in 1992 and remains as sharp and alert as someone half her age. She continues to do plastic canvas work and is working on her second novel.
One of her proudest achievements is being the matriarch of a multi-generational family. Her son has three sons who, in turn, have nine children (Nell’s great grandchildren). A great-great granddaughter was born in May, making five generations living at this time.
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