Naomi Fern (Parker) Fraley (1921 - 2018)

Ancestors

Contents 1 Biography 2 Research Notes 3 Sources 4 Acknowledgements

Biography

Naomi was born in 1921 in Tulsa to Joseph Parker and Esther Leis.

Crop from newsreel footage.

In 1942 Naomi took a job at the Naval Air Station at Alameda, California to do her part for the War effort. While she was there, a photographer snapped her photo while leaning over the machinery. The photo was widely published in many magazines and newspapers. It is believed that her photo may have been the inspiration for artist J. Howard Miller's famous 'Rosie the Riveter' poster.

In alliance with her sisters, Ada and Althea, Naomi became an ordained minister, gospel singer and song writer.^[1]

She was married three times. She had one son (living) with her first husband, Joseph Blankenship. They were later divorced.

Her second husband was John Henry Muhlig. They were also divorced.

Her final marriage was to Charley Fraley in 1979.

She passed away in 2018 at the age of 96. She is buried at Rose Valley Cemetery in Kelso, Washington.^[2]

Research Notes

There is some question as to who Naomi's biological father was. Obituaries named named Joseph Parker (of Georgia) as the father and he appears with the family in 1930. However, in 1920, Naomi's mother is living with John Parker (of Delaware).

Sources

1. ↑ About Naomi Parker Fraley
2. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images, accessed 05 February 2021), memorial page for Naomi Fern Parker Fraley (26 Aug 1921–20 Jan 2018), Find A Grave: Memorial #200128480, citing Rose Valley Cemetery, Kelso, Cowlitz County, Washington, USA ; Maintained by Bee_Charmer (contributor 47739953)

• "United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCQC-KKR : accessed 5 February 2021), Joseph E Parker, Spokane, Spokane, Washington, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 82, sheet 13A, line 26, family 290, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 2517; FHL microfilm 2,342,251.

Joseph E Parker Head Male 57 Georgia

Esther J Parker Wife Female 32 Missouri

Esther Parker Daughter Female 11 Oklahoma

Nettie Parker Daughter Female 9 Massachusetts

Naomi Parker Daughter Female 8 Oklahoma

Ada Parker Daughter Female 6 New York

Clyde Parker Son Male 3 Tennessee

Lucille Parker Daughter Female 1 Washington

See also:

• Fox, Margalit, "Naomi Parker Fraley, the real Rosie the Riveter, dies at 96 in Longview." The Seattle Times, January 22, 2018.
• Gunter, Joel, "Naomi Parker Fraley, the real Rosie the Riveter, dies aged 96." BBC News, 23 January 2018.
• Katz, Brigit, The Unsung Inspiration Behind the “Real” Rosie the Riveter, Smithsonian Magazine, 24 January 2018.
• Wikipedia: Naomi Parker Fraley
• Wikidata: Item Q47486504, en:Wikipedia

Acknowledgements

• A special thank you to Ernie Fraley, Naomi's stepson, for his assistance in providing photos, information, answering questions and granting permission to connect her to his father--her third husband.