Bertha was born on November 10, 1913 and was the eldest daughter of Charlie Robert and Amie (Wyche) Mitchell. Her parents wanted "something more" for Bertha, so they had aspirations of sending her to college. But Bertha was her own person. Family tales are laced with images of her shaking her finger in the faces of her siblings and telling them what to do - "or I'm gon' tell Papa!"

Bertha was tall, beautiful, and determined to make up her own mind about her future. She was a very spiritual and giving person who taught Sunday school classes and even subsitute teaching at Mt. Mariah School which comprised grades primary through 6th. She preferred marrying her beau instead of going to college, and against her father's wishes, she did just that. She married Robin Parker in 1934 and to that union five children were born: Mary, James, Eddie, Robert, and Barbara. There was a son named Robert Parker, Jr. who was born between Eddie and Barbara and he died as an infant. Bertha made sure that her children shared their posessons with others who were less fortunate. (Sister tells us that "Uncle Shag" was really named Robin Parker and that Bertha "renamed" him Robert! Louise thinks that his mother called him Robin as a pet name because she dotted on him so much).

In the family, she had a reputation of always being ready to go - wherever that might be. We always thought she slept in her ear-bobs, because she always came to the door with them on, no matter what time it was... morning, noon, or night.

Bertha and Robert moved to New Jersey and lived there from 1958 - 1977. While living in East Orange, she was a member and deaconess at Ebeneza Baptist Church. When she retired and returned to North Carolina, what a delight it was to have her back. She had her own beauty regimine - vaseline for her face, never worry about anything, and she ate egg yolks - not the white. And to think, she never had cholesterol problems! She died quietly on July 21, 1993.