Parham’s two loves: Piano and pets

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Local News

May 3, 2019 - 5:27 PM

Judy Parham's new passion is taking care of cats and dogs.

Brenda Clark is Judy Parham’s biggest fan. “She’s really, really good on  the keyboard,” Brenda gushed.

Judy is more on the modest side, allowing she hopes to do OK later today when the two women get together on the gazebo in Humboldt’s square for a concert to support the local food pantry.

Judy, age 70, grew up on a farm not too far from the Leanna, nowadays a few houses on the Allen-Neosho counties line. As a young girl, she took piano lessons from Mrs. Bundy, a friend of the family who agreed to teach Judy and her two sisters for a $1 week. 

That first experience involved chords, in part because Mrs. Bundy suffered arthritis and teaching by that method was easier than individual notes. Judy soon learned, though, that if she were to advance she would have to learn to strike each note individually.

“That’s a little harder than some people may think,” she explained, having to read two clefts and transferring that to two hands.

Judy practiced on “an old beat-up upright at home.” By age 14 she was the pianist at nearby Big Creek Church. The only criticism, “you play too fast,” came from her mother.

After graduating from Humboldt High in 1966, she enrolled in Chanute Junior College, including a class in piano, which enhanced her talent. 

Within a few years she was in Chanute full time, wife of Dr. Verdon Parham, a general practitioner for 30 years. 

Judy taught piano to scores of youngsters for more than 20 years. At one time she had 40 students. 

 

WITH RETIREMENT — sort of — the Parhams moved to a farm in northeast Neosho County but have avoided the stereotypical rocking chairs.

Judy has traded time teaching piano for taking care of animals.

For several hours a day Judy takes care of dogs and cats they have rescued, many of them strays. 

Today they have 58 cats and eight dogs, most housed in a building once used for kennels by a dog trainer from Georgia, who spent five months a year on the farm prepping hunting dogs.

Naturally, the new devotion has come at the expense of time playing the piano. A dog bite that took off the end of her finger also was slow to heal. 

“We’re also slowing down with the animals,” she said. For years they tried to find homes for dogs and cats taken in, but that has become more difficult. Most of the dogs they tend daily are older or have specials needs and about half the cats are 12 or older, which “makes it hard to find them a home.”

 

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