If you’ve been a fan of Double D long, you’ve probably come to realize that behind nearly everything we do (or Cheryl does, rather), there is a story. Whether it’s a place or a person, a memory or a movie, something, someone, or somewhere inspired every single thing she creates; and much credit to her, she is committed to telling that story.
Most people in the United States, or at the very least Texas, are at least vaguely familiar with the story of Cynthia Ann Parker, and her son, Quanah. But, being decades removed from junior high history class, the details of her strife and survival have likely grown a bit fuzzy. Because a big part of our mission – and as we see it, our duty – is to educate, we thought now would be a great opportunity to retell her story and celebrate her strength.
[Please note: We are not Wikipedia; so, while we intend to be accurate and informative, we also aim to make it interesting, and this is by no means a comprehensive account of everything that happened. There are countless resources available if you find yourself fascinated and interested delving deeper into Cynthia’s story, which we encourage you to do.]
Gary King
February 13, 2025
Thirty years ago my wife and I bought a dining set from my great aunt, now deceased. It came with the story “this once belonged to Cynthia Ann Parker and her family.” My aunt said it had been in her family for many decades. She claimed the six wooden chairs had to be almost a hundred years old as they had been used at a wedding she attended as a little girl (she was mid 80’s at the time). I once listed the set on Craigslist with a story similar to this one I’m telling and was contacted by a distant male relative, last name Parker. He told me if there was any proof behind my aunt’s story he would like to have the table to keep it in the family. By then my aunt had severe dementia and died shortly thereafter, so there was no way to quiz her regarding her original story. I’ve lamented several times there are no late in life family pictures taken of Cynthia’s home life, possibly a picture showing the family dining at my table.