MARY (MOLLIE) PARALEE GORE WILLIS BERRY WALKER By Norma Anderson Agatha Walker

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1 MARY (MOLLIE) PARALEE GORE WILLIS BERRY WALKER By Norma Anderson Agatha Walker Willis Berry Walker was born 20 October 1865, in Jackson Parish, Louisiana. His parents were Orange and Martha (Felts) Walker. Soon after his birth, his parents moved to Upshur County, Texas, near Gilmer, and that is where he grew up. He must have had a good education, for he applied in Henderson County, Texas, in 1884 or 1885 to teach school. He stayed with a member of the school board, JOHN HENRY GORE 1, while he candidated. There he met MARY (MOLLIE) PARALEE GORE 2.. Mollie was very pretty, romantic, and wanted to be a poet and writer. Mollie was engaged to be married at the time, but she soon broke her engagement, for Willis was very handsome and they were falling in love. They were married 26 November It is uncertain if Willis taught very long in Henderson County, for on 24 January 1886, Mollie wrote a love note in her little diary: To Willis, Dearest, I often wonder during the swift fleeting hours, If when days, weeks, months, and years have sped away, Will we love each other as we do today? I wonder if age will quinche Love s brilliant flame? Or will we always love the same? Darling, I hope when the winter of old age has swept away The roses of the May from your sunny brow, I may be spared to go with you o er life s rugged pathway, For I know my love will n er grow cold, but When your form it is no longer strait, And your voice mocks each endeavor To sing, why precious sweetest mate, I ll love thee more than ever. Ever your own, Mollie W. Glenwood, Texas, January the 24 th, Born 18 Mar 1834 Bibb Co., AL. died 11 Jan Henderson Co., Texas, son of John and Sarah Whatley Gore 2 Born 10 Aug Wood Co., Texas, died 22 May 1952, Salinas, Ca. 3 Henderson County, Texas Marriage License Volume 3, Page 262

2 Glenwood was in Upshur County, where Willis father and mother lived, and from many entries in Mollie s diary, they lived there for a while. Willis and Mollie s first child, Ione, was born around August or September of The next dated entry in the diary was December 15, 1887, but no location given. Over two years have passed since I became your happy bride, But my precious husband, I have never suffered any regret that I married you. So far, you have been a true husband and loving Companion, ever ready to sympathise with me in every sorrow. God bless you, darling! I hope I have done nothing to wound your Dear heart during these two years. Many things of importance have occurred during the time. God has Entrusted a treasure to our keeping. God help us to train its feet for the Glory world. During these two years I have witnessed a very great sorrow in the Death of my precious Mother. God help me to be resigned to his will. Your true and devoted wife, Mollie Walker Mollie s mother was Louisa Anna (Craig) Gore. 4 While visiting a neighbor, she drank some water from their well, which was contaminated, and developed Typhoid Fever and died 7 October1887. The next entry in Mollie s diary was February 16, 1888 and it was on the page after the above entry. 4 Born 20 Nov Mississippi Springs, MS., died 7 Oct. 1887, Henderson Co., TX., daughter of John Craig Jr. and Mary Barfield. Married John Henry Gore 16 Nov. 1865, Smith County, TX.

3 Willis Two months ago yesterday I wrote those lines on the opposite Page; and one month ago yesterday our treasure was taken from a world Of untold suffering borne by angels to that city of light where she is Waiting for us, dear husband, and shall the sweet brown eyes of our baby, Ione, look and wait in vain at the beautiful gates of Paradise for us. Oh! May God fill our hearts full of his love and help us meet our baby in Heaven to carry with us our bonnie blue-eyed Bessie. God bless you, Darling! Pray for your sorrowing wife. God will bless our sorrows to the Good of our souls. Your devoted wife: - Mollie Walker Ione died 15 January1888, after a long illness. Four days later, little Bessie was born. Five months later, Willis and Mollie discovered little Bessie had died in her sleep. The shock was almost more than Mollie could bear, but the Lord was with them, and Mollie wrote a poem in her diary: Darling Willis, Precious Husband, Days and months have passed away Bringing round in quick succession Three years since our wedding day, Happiness has smiled upon us, Love increased with every day. For awhile we knew no sorrow, Roses scattered all our way. When our first sweet bonny baby Came to bless us with her love, With her brown eyes, sparkling diamonds, Pure and gentle as a dove, How we loved the little treasure, What bright hopes for future years, Joys untold, love beyond measure, Little dreamed we then of tears. Had the future raised the curtains Showing us the days to come, Nights of sad and lonely watching, Days all covered up in gloom. Ah! How sad had been our feelings If the future could have told That the ones we loved so dearly

4 Would so soon be still and cold. Mother first obeyed the summons From the vast untried unknown. Angels bore her sainted spirit To its happy, long sought home, Leaving but her sainted spirit To its happy, long sought home, Leaving but her sweet example, Pure and gentle, kind and good, Pointing we, her orphan children, To that home in heaven with God. Next were months of anxious watching O er our sweet, sick baby s bed. How we nursed and loved our darling Trying to ease the baby s head. How we prayed for God to spare her, When we saw death creeping on, But when angels bore her heavenward, We whispered, Lord thy will be done. For we knew we d meet our darling If but faithful unto death. We would meet her high in heaven, Catch with her the heavenly breath. Ione was our first sweet treasure, But another made us glad. Four days only then were left us All alone to be so sad. Then our blue-eyed baby, Bessie, Came to brighten home again. By her smiles our hearts awakened To a soft and sweet refrain. Five short months she tarried with us, Little darling, sweet and good, Little cheeks so pink and pretty, Sweetest type of babyhood. Oh! Our sorrows than were deepened When we went to baby s bed.

5 Thought our baby only sleeping, Raised her up and found her dead. God alone can know our sorrows, He alone can find a balm For our hearts so sore and bleeding, And make the troubled waters calm. Mollie Walker Aug 1888 Willis answered his wife on the next page of the diary: Yes, my wife, we ve seen some pleasure Our hearts have been made glad We saw sorrow in no measure Neither were we ever sad. Ione was our first sweet treasure She stayed awhile, and then went home. Now we have not so much pleasure Now our home is filled with gloom. Next appeared our little Bessie. She was blue-eyed, bright and fair. God spare to us our baby Was our earnest, sincere prayer. But He took her she is gone Up in heaven far above There to join with sweet Ione In singing songs of joy and love. Let us meet them, by and by, In that heaven far above. There we ll join them in the sky To sing the songs of joy and love. Ever, Lord, thy will be done. Take us, guard us, guide us there. Save us in our heavenly home Is my earnest, sincere prayer. W. B. Walker in reply to my wife, Mollie Walker August 1888, Glenwood, Texas

6 Willis had been brought up in the Baptist church, but after marrying Mollie, he went with her and her family to the Methodist Church, since all the Craigs and Barfields (her mother s lines) were Methodists. I m sure God was working in his life through these sorrows to give his life to preach the Gospel. Willis was licensed to preach in Gilmer Circuit in This was near where they lived in Glenwood. On 12 March 1889, John Orange Walker was born. Mollie was so scared something would happen to him that she would scarcely let him out of her sight. In November 1890 Willis was admitted on trial in the North Texas Conference at Texarkana, by Bishop Atticus Haygood, one of the well-known bishops of the Church. On February 1, 1891, Ida Maude Walker was born. Willis was ordained an elder by Bishop Hargrove at Bonham, Texas. His first charge was the Clarksville Circuit, which he served in In 1892 Willis was admitted into full connection and ordained by Bishop Hargrove at Sherman, Texas. He served the Dalby Springs Circuit that year, and on 28 October 1892, Willis Haygood Walker 5 was born in Dalby Springs, Texas named for Bishop Haygood, who had encouraged Willis in his ministry. In 1893, Willis served the Maxey Mission. In 1894 he was in the Fannin Circuit. On 10 August 1894, Mary Catherine Walker was born. During this time, Mollie was too busy to write in her diary, with four very active children, she had her hands full. Also, moving frequently to be with Willis was trying. But she still occasionally wrote poetry. One poem was particularly delightful: 5 Father of Norma Anderson and Agatha Walker

7 The Bucking Bronco Little feet go patter, patter Such a racket, such a clatter! What on earth can be the matter With them all? Here comes Willis, John, and Ida; Ida leader, Mary driver Such a squall: Let me be a bucking bronco, You a cowboy with a lasso, And I ll pitch and throw you off so, Says our John. Willis clutches to John s collar, Spurs his sides, begins to holler; Ida, Mary quickly follow. O such fun. Here they bump against the table, Bronco bucking all he s able. House a roar from floor to gable, O just see! Off comes Willis, banners flying, Cowboy yell, and Ida crying; Little Mary whimpers, sighing: O my, me! Cowboy s nose is bleeding badly, Bronco s chin needs plaster sadly; Turpentine and Camphor! madly Yell them all. Quite a lesson here for others, Bigger, smarter, grown-up brothers, Wild-oats sowing doctrine lovers --In this fall. Mrs. Mollie P. Walker Glenwood, Texas

8 In 1895, 1896, Willis served the Benvanue Mission and in 1897 the Chico Mission. Sometime between 1895 and 1898, we believe little Paul Walker was born. He was born blind and did not live very long. I m sure they were devastated by this new tragedy. Perhaps that is why Willis, at the Annual Conference at Dallas, November 1897, requested to locate because of his wife s health. He first lived near Glenwood, in Upshur County. Part of the time during the years following his location, he taught school and the remainder of the time, he assisted the brethren of the North and East Texas Conferences in revival meetings. In 1898 he moved to Winnsboro, and in March 1899, he moved to Musgrove, Texas. On June 21, 1900, little Milton Walker was born. The family was living in Franklin County, Texas on the 1900 Census which is where Musgrove is located. In September 1900 Willis was in the midst of a meeting with Brother W. F. Hardy at Texarkana when called home by sickness in the family, and came home sick himself, to answer the call of the Lord in a few days. Willis died September 20, He would have been 35 years old in one month. There was an obituary published in the Texas Christian Advocate on November 29, 1900, from which much of the information for this biography was taken. After Willis death, Mollie moved back to Henderson County, Texas where her mother s family lived. With small children to raise, she continued writing poems and taught school to help with finances. Some of her poems were published in the Texas Christian Advocate. In 1905/1906 Mollie married Stephen Hatton and with her children and his children by a previous marriage, moved to Jackson County (Elmer), Oklahoma.

Four Line Memorial Verse

Page 1 of 5 Four Line Memorial Verse If we could only speak to her, And hold her loving hand, No matter what we said or did, I know she'd understand. Sadly missed along life's way, Quietly remembered every