Henry Rust Parker was born Jan. 24, 1836 in Wolfeborough, NH, the son of John Tappan and Sally L. (Seavey) Parker. He lost both his parents when he was 12 years old. He graduated from Wolfeborough Academy and from Dartmouth in 1866. He practiced medicine in Wolfeborough until 1881 when he came to Dover.
He married Miss Ella Thompson, the daughter of Moses and Hannah (Rust) Thompson of Wolfeborough, on May 27, 1866 and they had three children:
Nathlie S. – b. July 9, 1868 – married George B. Harper of Montreal
Alberta T. – b. Oct. 7, 1870 – married Harry P. Henderson of Dover
Henry R. Jr. – b. June 29, 1875 – died Dec. 27, 1894 at age 19.
Dr. Parker attended St. Thomas Episcopal Church and was the first President of their Men’s Club. He was mayor of Dover in 1891 & 1892. He served as a member of the executive committee of the YMCA of New Hampshire and Vermont. He and his wife were both charter members of the Northam Colonists and she was the organization’s first president. He was one of the incorporators of the New Hampshire Genealogical Society and served as president of that organization. Dr. Parker died on Dec. 29, 1909. He lived at 31 Cushing Street.
Photograph from Dover Public Library archives, text from Marston, Robert, Dover, NH: People, Businesses and Organizations: 1850 to 1950. Dover, NH, 2004.