James PARKER Jr. was born in 1811 in Georgia to:
• James PARKER Sr., who was born in North Carolina between 1780 and 1790 and died in 1846 in Screven County, &
• his first wife, whose name is unknown, who is believed to have been born in Georgia. James PARKER Sr. married secondly
• Elizabeth SASSER (born 1790-1800, died by 1848), and with his two wives James PARKER Sr. is thought to have had 22 children, the eldest of whom was James PARKER Jr. Most of these children had large families of their own, and by 1880, there were many PARKERs farming their own land throughout the 80th District of Screven County. During the mid and late 19th Century, these PARKER men were community leaders of Screven County, many of them serving as Justice of the Peace.

James PARKER Jr. was married to Mary LEE in 1833 in Screven County (by the Rev. Moses Nathaniel MCCALL Sr.). James & Mary were the parents of nine children, born 1834-1853:
• Moses PARKER (1834-1881), whose first wife was Mary BRINSON (1838-1877) - they were joined in marriage in 1854 in Screven County by Moses' uncle, Matthew PARKER J.P. (this couple moved west and Moses remarried by 1879 in Texas),
• James PARKER III (1837-1911), who first married his cousin, Clarisa PARKER (about 1835-about 1865) in 1855 in Screven County (the couple joined by Matthew PARKER, uncle to them both), and then married Susan Safier EDENFIELD (born 1851 in South Carolina, the sister of Rev. Henry G. EDENFIELD) in 1867 in Screven County (joined by Rev. Daniel E. ROBERTS),
• David PARKER (1838-1889), who first married Charity Ann ZEIGLER (1836-1868) in 1860 in Screven County (joined by uncle Matthew), and then married Martha Ann BRINSON (born about 1843) in 1869 in Screven County (joined by James BRINSON J.P.),
• Sarah Ann PARKER (1841-1899), who married John E. BRINSON (1837-1884) in 1856 in Screven County (joined by uncle Matthew),
• Harrison PARKER (born 1843), who first married Elizabeth WATERS (1851-1882) in 1867 in Screven County (joined by Rev. Henry Green EDENFIELD), and then married Mary D. (born 1859),
• Crawford PARKER (1845-1899), who married Martha BRINSON (1864-1946),
• Mary PARKER (1847-1900), who married David Simeon BURKE (born about 1841) in 1869 in Screven County (joined by Rev. Henry Green EDENFIELD),
• Louisa PARKER, "Lou" (1851-1899), who married William BRINSON, and
• Hardy Ward PARKER (1853-after June 1920), who married Sarah Cornelia EDENFIELD (1857-1918, sister of Rev. Henry Green EDENFIELD) in 1874 in Screven County.

Note: Uncle Matthew PARKER was born about 1820; as Justice of the Peace, he joined in marriage many couples in Screven County during at least the period 1847-1860; he died by 1862, when James PARKER Jr. (referred to as Sr. by that time) administered his estate.

Primary Sources: Census records, cemetery inscriptions, and marriage and probate records from the Screven County Court House in Sylvania.
Secondary Sources: Of One Dozen Sassers, by Claudia CHITWOOD WELLER (which is available on-line), and The History of Screven County (in which some of the Parker Family articles were also contributed by Mrs. WELLER).