Mary Christine Parish, 87, of Springdale, Arkansas, was born to Euell and Delia Grigg Smith at Kingston, Arkansas on January 2, 1935. She attended Springdale Schools and Sparks School of Nursing at Fort Smith. She loved nursing and taking care of her patients and worked for 31 years at the Veterans Hospital in Fayetteville.

She was a member of the Church of Christ at Cave Springs.   She loved doing for her family and helping take care of her grandchildren and great grandchildren.  Her sisters said she always drove them crazy by making them be patients while she played nurse when they were growing up.  She said she couldn't cook very well but loved making "blowed up soup" (There is a story behind that).  She was preceded in death by her parents, 5 siblings and great grandson Kadyn Paul Burr.

She is survived by one son, Bill Parish and his wife Susan of Prairie Grove, Arkansas; one daughter, Ann Foley and her husband Stephen, of Springdale, Arkansas;  8 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren; two sisters: Charlene Peoples of Rogers, Arkansas and LaFern Tunnell of Springdale, Arkansas.

A Graveside Service will be Friday, July 8, 2022, at 11:00 A.M. at Cave Springs Cemetery with Pastor Jim Burr and Bobby Glenn officiating under the direction of Memorial Funeral Home, 3926 Willowood Avenue, Springdale, Arkansas 72762.  Visitation will be Thursday, July 7, 2022 from 5:00 P.M. until 7:00 P.M. at the funeral home.  Honorary pallbearers will be Michael Graves, Cameron Burr, Paul Jamerson, Matthew Snow, Christian Pianalto and Ashton Burr.  Memorials may be made to National Urban Ministry, 4748 New Allen Road, Memphis, TN 38128.