Ceola Parker, an angel who walks among us

A fire on Speed Street Friday morning destroyed the home of two elderly Vicksburg women.

According to the initial investigation, a space heater malfunctioned and is the most likely cause of the fire. The two women in the home were struggling to get out of the home.

Neighbor Ceola Parker saw the smoke and alerted another neighbor so they could help. She called 911 and then risked it all to save her neighbors, one of whom was facing mobility challenges due to recent medical events.

Parker went into the home twice. The first time to help a woman crying for help, “I got her down the steps.”  The second time, with flames showing in the house, to help the mobility challenged neighbor. “She was in the fire in the doorway. I got her, I was trying to get her to the stepway,” said Parker. Tommy Curtis with the police department assisted Parker with getting the woman out of the fire.

The video shows Parker matter-of-factly explaining what happened. We asked if she was scared Parker replied, “I was scared but the Grace of God. I keep God first in everything I do. If it wasn’t for the grace of the good Lord they wouldn’t of been out of there. It was me and the good Lord who saved them,”

The Bible teaches that God uses people and you never know who or when.

On Friday morning, on Speed Street in Vicksburg, according to Ceola Parker, God used her. “It was me and the good Lord who saved them,” Parker said as tears started to stream down her face.

“Thank God,” concluded Parker

The Bible also teaches that believers should put God above all else.

I am certain that if I were to ask Ceola Parker if she felt like an angel she would immediately deny it and talk about her imperfections and faults. I am also certain she would be unable to deny she was in the right place at the right time.

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Just a reminder of how great our little town is, was and will continue to be. It’s easy to get lost in the vitriol of our current frustrations, but people like Ceola Parker are all around us. Guardian angels who do their part when they are called.