Elderly Couple Trapped After Falling In Home: Woman Dies, Husband Hurt
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – Amy and John Parrish lived in a well-kept corner house for as long as any of their Richfield neighbors can remember.
So when people began taking note of the fact they hadn't seen the couple for nearly a week, they called police.
From her picture window neighbor Helen Johnson could see that something about the couple's home wasn't right.
Johnson saw what appeared to be newspapers gathering on the front step, so she informed another neighbor down the street.
"She said you should call police," Johnson said. "I said the kids are in contact with them you know."
Unfortunately, the couple's children live out of state and could not see what neighbors were observing.
When others down the street grew suspicious, police were called to make a welfare check.
Amy Parrish, 98, was found dead from an apparent fall. Her 95-year-old husband, John Parrish, had also fallen and was taken to Hennepin County Medical Center for treatment. His condition is unknown.
"They were wonderful people," said Bonnie Gruberman, who lives just down the block.
She has known the Parrishs for 42 years. As the neighborhood block leader, she says neighbors would frequently check on the couple, knowing there was little family nearby.
"We have to be happy that they lived their life where they wanted to be, even though family is elsewhere," Gruberman said.
It wasn't unusual to see Amy Parrish driving to the store or pulling weeds from her flowers. Even at her advanced age, she was active to the very end.
The couple's three surviving children live in other states. Police say that this can serve as a lesson to everyone about the value of welfare checks.
If something doesn't seem right or appears suspicious, local police will make a visit to the home to check on a person's welfare.