Son of Samuel Rose Parkinson and Arabella Anne Chandler

Married Ellen Elvira Nash, 12 Dec 1878, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Children - Mary Nash Parkinson, Lillian Nash Parkinson, Nellie Elvira Parkinson, Irene Nash Parkinson, Ray Parkinson, William Nash Parkinson, Willis Nash Parkinson, Waldo Chandler Parkinson, Son Parkinson, Frank Lane Parkinson, Bartlett Ross Parkinson, Eda Nash Parkinson

Married Louisa Benson, 11 Feb 1887, Logan, Cache, Utah

Children - Louisa Benson Parkinson, Charlotte Parkinson, Clara Parkinson, George Benson Parkinson, Adeline Benson Parkinson, Wilbur Chandler Parkinson, Carmen Parkinson, Evelyn Parkinson, Wanda Parkinson

History - William Chandler Parkinson was born 2 August 1855 in Kaysville, Utah to Samuel Rose Parkinson and Arabella Ann Chandler. In the spring of 1860 his family moved to Franklin, Idaho and William was one of the first settlers in that part of Idaho. He worked on his father's farm, planted and harvested crops, and looked after the animals.

In 1871 and 1872 William freighted with horse and mule teams from the rail point at Corinne, Utah, to the mines at Deer Lodge, Montana. He attended the district school in Franklin and Brigham Young College at Logan, Utah. In November 1878 William wrote in his journal,
"commenced to build a house and to prepare for getting married." He participated in all of the activities for the young people of Franklin. He had admired Nellie Nash and her performance in the ward play, "The Gypsy," and thought he would marry her one day. He proposed and on December 8, 1878, WIlliam and four other young men of the town took their sweethearts to Salt Lake City, arriving on December 11. On December 12 he was married to Ellen Elvira Nash by President Daniel H. Wells in the Endowment House. The couples returned to Franklin on December 15th. They moved into the two room log house William had completed for them.
William's father had contracted to furnish lumber for the Z.C.M.I. store and the Assembly Hall on Temple Square in Salt Lake City and in 1879 William was in charge of hauling the lumber from the mill in Maple Creek Canyon to the Franklin Depot. The Utah Northern Railroad had been completed from Ogden, Utah, to Franklin in 1874.

William and Nellie were active Church members. He served as a counselor in the first YMMIA organization in Franklin and as a home missionary in Cache S take. In March 1880 he received a mission call, the first person from Franklin to receive one, and on 10 April 1880 he departed for Great Britain. He arrived at Liverpool on April 29 and was assigned to the Newcastle Conference. His parents were thrilled and asked him to locate family members while in England. He spent some time in Cheltenham, where he visited some of his mother's relatives, the Chandlers. His transfer in November 1881 gave him the opportunity to visit Barrowford, his father's birthplace. His father's cousin, Luke Berry, introduced him to several members of the family. He was honorably released from his mission on 12 May 1882 and returned home. He found Nellie had rented their home and gone back to live with her parents while qualifying for a teaching position to support herself and William. She had also worked in the family store. He helped build a home for his mother and in the fall he returned to manage the Franklin Co-op Store. He served as a justice of the peace for a two year term.

On 2 June 1884 William was ordained a bishop of the Preston (Idaho) Ward, which was part of the new Oneida Stake and he moved his family to Preston to live. William bought out a mercantile business and opened a general store known as W. C. Parkinson & Co. at the main intersection of Town, which he operated from 1884 to 1898. He helped develop the Preston and Cub River canal to bring water to the land around Preston.

William was bishop for fourteen years and the ward grew rapidly. Three district schools were built in Preston, and the Oneida Stake Academy was built on ground donated partly by William. He had a general store, a meat market, a furniture department, and built a large home for his family. He was a member of the board of education.

On 11 February 1887 William yielded obedience to the higher law of marriage by taking a plural wife, Louisa Benson, the daughter of George T. Benson, William's second counselor, and Louisa Ballif, pioneers of 1847. The Bensons had recently settled in Whitney, Idaho.

In April of 1896 William accepted a call for a short term mission to California with his younger brother Frank. They labored in San Bernardino, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Two years later, in January of 1898, WIlliam was called to the Northwestern States Mission with his older Brother Samuel. They opened up the city of Walla Walla in Washington and Baker, Pendleton and Portland, Oregon.

On 7 August 1898 at a special conference of the Oneida Stake, William C. Parkinson became the new stake president. He sold his home in Preston and hired a manager for the W.C. Parkinson Co. The family moved to Pocatello. William represented Studebaker Brothers Manufacturing Co., makers of farm wagons and equipment and later, automobiles. On 30 April 1901 the new Hyrum, Utah Stake was organized and William C. Parkinson was called to be its first president, located in Hyrum. William was the stake president for nineteen years and they hosted many General Authorities who came to conferences or traveled through Cache Valley.
In the winter of 1918-1919 William and Louisa lost two of their children to the flu epidemic. Their son, George, age 19, died while enrolled in the military program at Utah State Agricultural College. In the spring, their daughter, Marie, who had gone to her sister Clara's home to help with a new baby, died in January.

In 1920 William was almost 65 years old and he requested a release from his callings because of increasing hearing loss. In July 1920 He was released. He moved his family to Salt Lake City and he and Nellie purchased a home at 1530 Downington Avenue in the Wasatch Ward of the Granite Stake. He worked for the State of Utah as an appraiser and then retired. He died on 18 November 1929 at the age of 74. The previous year he and Nellie had celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. Louisa Benson Parkinson moved to Salt Lake City in 1931 to be near her daughter Lou Clawson and she passed away 15 July 1938. Nellie Passed away in Salt Lake City on 17 February 1938.