Joel F. Parmenter, who has been one of the leading citizens of Maynard— died at his home on Acton road on Saturday, March 15, at the advanced age of eighty-eight years, eight months, and twenty-six days. Mr. Parmenter was a remarkable man, coming from a long line of ancestors, dating back to the first settlers who colonized the town of Sudbury, converted the wilderness into a village of homes and a cluster of fertile farms. He was a descendent of two of the most prominent families in this section of New England. He was born in a house known in history of the town as the third oldest house in Sudbury and in which his father and his grandfather were also born. This house still stands on the main road leading from Maynard to Sudbury, and about a mile from the present town line, and opposite the road leading to Pratt's mills. It was originally built as a single house and remained as such until he became a young man, when he and his father Joel felled the huge oak trees in the woods around Willis' pond, hewed the massive timbers for the frame and drew logs to the old mill, long since known as Pratt's mill, where they were cut into boards and sheathing and from this material completed the large double house as seen today. Mr. Parmenter was married at the age of twenty-five, to Mary Lois Whitney, then living in the northeast part of Stow near the Acton line, which is now a part of Maynard. After their marriage the then young couple went to live in the half of the old house in Sudbury and continued to reside there until 1871, when Maynard being incorporated as a separate town, they returned to make their home in the new town and in the old house in which Mrs. Parmenter was born and reared. She was the daughter of Daniel Whitney and sister of the late Artemus, Ephraim, and John Whitney. This house, which is located at that part of Maynard commonly called Parmenter's crossing at the Acton line, was built previous to 1683, and the land on which it stands was granted to the Marble family, who came over from England in the “Speedwell” about 1648, and has been handed to the youngest daughter and has been held in the family ever since, the Whitneys being descendents of the Marbles. This house has been located in three towns without being changed from its original foundation. It was in the town of Sudbury until 1683, when that part north of the Assabet river was set off as a separate town and given the name of Stow, and again in 1871, when the town of Maynard was incorporated. When, at the age of forty-one, Mr. Parmenter came to live in Maynard, he brought with him the experience and business sagacity of a shrewd American farmer, whose honesty could be depended upon and whose judgment was the one thing needed in building up the new town. His fellow citizens were quick to recognize his qualifications and for the past forty-eight years have held one or more offices in the town, having been re-appointed to an office on Thursday before his death. He was selectman nine years, road commissioner nine years, overseer of the poor twelve years, assessor six years, member of the board of health six years, and inspector of cattle since the law was put in force relative to the same. He also held many minor offices and at one time held four of the most important town offices at the same time, not a vote being cast against him for any of them. Mr. Parmenter was a life-long Democrat in politics and held to his party lines with but one exception, which was in 1860, when he cast his vote for Abraham Lincoln. He was a member of the Unitarian church of Sudbury, but outside of this was not a member of any organizations. He was the holder of a [Boston] Post Cane, which came into his hands about seven years ago through the death of Gavin Taylor, and which was first held by Lewis Towne. He is survived by four sons, three of whom, Daniel W., Richard W., and J. Willis, were born in Sudbury, and Harry J., born in Maynard; eleven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Thus has passed to the great beyond one whose ability has been of benefit to his fellowmen as well as to himself, and who, by right living, was not only permitted to live beyond the length of time allotted to most men, was mentally and physically able to conduct the affairs of life up to the time of his last brief illness. Born of a goodly heritage, he has enriched posterity by living a good and useful life and in accord with his ideals and right methods which characterized his forefathers.