Genevieve James Walker

GENEVIEVE JAMES was born on 19 Sep 1900 at *Red Store, near Boyce, Rapides Parish, Louisiana to William Calvit James and Ella Elizabeth Robinson. She was born in her parents' home, "Eagle's Nest."

Genevieve's childhood home, Eagle's Nest, near Boyce, Louisiana

Sammye and Pat Carlyon (Genevieve's sister Berenice's children) around the back of Eagle's Nest

Genevieve on the porch

Young Genevieve

Young Genevieve on hillside

Genevieve on bank

Genevieve on car

Genevieve (on left) with friend, Bobbie

Morgan and Genevieve Walker

Genevieve James Walker

Genevieve, in her home, helping her daughter "Teency" (Genevieve Walker) on her wedding day, 1953

Adjusting Annis' veil, 1958

Genevieve on her"prized stud" champion show horse, "Rex Sensation"

Genevieve in front of stables at the Horseshoe Drive house, Alexandria, Louisiana

Riding Rex Sensation

Genevieve on horse

Winner's Circle

Genevieve (right) and her friend, "Ms. Smith (wife of Joe D. Smith)" at a Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) event

Morgan and Genevieve, later in life

Genevieve passed away on March 8, 1960 in Alexandria.

Transcription of Genevieve James Walker's obituary in the Pineville News, 10 March 1960
"Final Rites Held for Mrs. Walker

Funeral services for Mrs. Morgan W. Walker, 57, wife of the president of Continental Southern Bus Lines, were held at 3 pm Wednesday at St. James Episcopal church with burial in Greenwood Memorial Park.

Mrs. Walker died at her home Tuesday afternoon after a lengthy illness. Mrs. Walker was the former Genevieve James, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Calvit James of Bayou Rapides, members of a pioneer Rapides parish family. She had been active in church affairs, and in the work of the DAR, and was a member of the JT Charnley chapter, Order of Eastern Star.

In addition to her husband, who is president of the Rapides parish school board and active in civic affairs, she is survived by two sons, Morgan W. Jr., and Edgar, both of Alexandria; four daughters, Mrs. EC Hall, Jr., of Sumter, SC, Mrs. James H. Galloway and Mrs. Borron J. Owen of Alexandria and Mrs. Jeff J. Horn of Cheneyville; two brothers, Fielding and DeWitt James, Boyce; four sisters, Mrs. Berenice Carlyon, Mrs. Alice Daigre and Mrs. Lula Mae Hickman, Boyce, and Mrs. Aza Cooper, Alexandria; and 15 grandchildren."

Remembrances of Genevieve's youngest child, Annis, taken from "Living Out on the Horseshoe," a cookbook and memoir of sorts compiled by Annis' daughter, Georgia.

"My mother was born on September 19th, 1900 in Boyce, Louisiana. She was the youngest of 14 children and was raised on the home place called 'Eagle's Nest.' Even as a child, she was known for her horsemanship.

She met my father when she was about 21 years old. Daddy had started a taxi service . . . He later obtained a bus and founded the Interurban Transportation Company. His first bus route was from Alexandria to Boyce. My mother rode his bus back and forth to town.

Her brothers and sisters were less than enthusiastic about their relationship. He was quite a few years older, balding and an amputee. They used to say, 'Genevieve is going to marry that bald-headed, one-legged old man that will never amount to a hill of beans.'

Genevieve's mother had suffered a stroke prior to their meeting and was bedridden. Mama never introduced Daddy to her in order to protect her dignity. She died in February of 1922. My parents (Morgan and Genevieve) married in September of that same year.

Mama raised every animal known to man. She had these Belgian Shepherd dogs that were show dogs. Sometimes they would start barking at night. I would hear Mama get up and go over to the window. The old wooden sill would clatter as she flung it up and yelled 'Heerrruggghhh!' Those dogs would shut up.

One time she got these monkeys from a man that wanted to get rid of them. The biggest one's name was Mike. He was mean as he could be, but Mama wasn't afraid of the devil.

One day, Bessie (the cook) closed herself up in the wash house, yelling. We realized that Mike (the monkey) had gotten out and was walking around the yard. As he passed Mama's Boston Terrier, Bing (below), he just scooped him up under his arm. After a while, he put the dog down and climbed up in one of the pecan trees. Everyone was terrified except for Mama. She went out there and commanded that monkey to come down and get in his cage. And he did! Mama could do anything."



Neal's Memory: Mama always said that Grandmother drove a pickup truck because "she never knew when she might have to haul something."

The Alexandria Garden Club Year Book 1937-1938, Charter Members, lists Genevieve's name here.

A transcription of the cemetery records of James-Henderson (Henderson Hill) Cemetery, near Red Store, (where many of Genevieve's ancestors are buried) can be found here.

*Red Store is the area surrounding a store (or which once surrounded a store) in Boyce, Louisiana

Everyone, please post any corrections or stories you remember hearing about Grandmother here, too. Thank you!

Morgan Wailes Walker

Morgan Wailes Walker, 20 Aug 1893-20 Feb 1983

Below, a transcription of Morgan Wailes Walker's obituary, from The Winn Parish Enterprise News American Newspaper, 23 Feb 1983, found here.

Morgan W. Walker, Sr., 89, of Alexandria, Louisiana, a prominent and successful Alexandria business man, died at Rapides General Hospital Sunday. Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, February 22, 1983, at St. James Episcopal Church in Alexandria with burial in Greenwood Memorial Cemetery.

Mr. Walker was a graduate of Dodson High School and Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, now Louisiana Tech University, in Ruston where he was a former classmate of Winnfield native Earl K. Long who later became a governor of Louisiana.

He left Winn Parish about 1916 to work at a lumber company in McNary, Louisiana, which at the time was one of the largest lumber operations in the area. He moved to Alexandria where he eventually merged a group of bus companies, finally serving as director of the Trans-Continental Bus System which has operated in more than 40 states.

Mr. Walker was director of TCO Industries, a subsidiary of Holiday Inns. He was chairman of the board from 1970 to 1978 of Guaranty Bank and Trust Company of Alexandria. He was a former member of the State Mineral Board during the administration of Governor Jimmie Davis.

His business interests extended to the dairy industry after he and his wife began their dairy in the 1930s with one cow and selling milk to their neighbors. He was known to farmers and dairy men as the "father of Guernseys in Louisiana," and expanded his dairy interests in Central Louisiana by founding the Louisiana Guernsey Cattle Club. Walker founded Cloverland
Dairies and was past president and founder of Roemer Dairy Processing; although Walker Farms were dissolved in 1978, the family retained an interest in Walker-Roemer Dairies in New Orleans.

Mr. Walker's main community interests included education and he was known as "father of Scouting" because he was instrumental in reorganization of Scouting in the 1930s. A past president of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce he was also a member of the American Dairy Science Association, Oliver Lodge No. 84, F. & A. M., the El Karuba Temple in Shreveport and the Cenla Shrine Club in Alexandria.

Mr. Walker is survived by two sons, two daughters, 26 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. His wife died in 1960, also two daughters predeceased him. He is also survived by a nephew, Dr. J. Paul Peters, and a cousin, W. Stewart Walker, both of Winnfield, as a number of other Winn Parish relatives.

Morgan Wailes Walker, young portrait.

Morgan Walker and Genevieve James, perhaps an engagement photo?

Morgan with a wedding gift from his parents, a heifer. This photo was probably taken in 1922, the year of his marriage. Genevieve milked the cow and delivered milk early in their marriage. Eventually, Morgan and Genevieve started Walker's Cloverland Dairy.

1922 Interurban Buslines. Morgan started a taxi service transporting soldiers from Camp Beauregard (Pineville) to Alexandria during WWI. He later obtained a bus and founded the Interurban Transportation Company.

1924 Interurban Buslines Transportation Company, Third Street and Fulton Street, Alexandria, Louisiana

1925 Interurban Buslines bus barn, Morgan Walker is first from the left. (Click to enlarge.)

Interurban Buslines with students from Mansfield Women's College, in front of Hotel Bentley, Alexandria, Louisiana. Uncle Gordy (William Gordon Walker), Morgan's older brother is on the hood. This company grew and eventually merged with two other bus companies to form Southern Bus Lines, a forerunner of Continental Trailways. Morgan met Genevieve one day as she boarded the bus he was driving.

Walker's Cloverland Dairy, which eventually became Walker-Roemer Dairies "Home of Golden Guernsey Milk."

Morgan Walker and his younger sister, Aunt Iver (Basheybe Iver Walker [Peters] in the foreground) with others, unidentified. Morgan referred to his sister as Ivy.

Morgan and his youngest son, Edgar Walker, probably taken about 1937

Morgan and his father, Ezriah Walker. This picture was taken around the back of the house seen below. In his later years, Ezriah lived with Morgan's family.

The house "Out on the Horseshoe," where Morgan and Genevieve raised their six children. Horseshoe Drive, Alexandria, Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Morgan Walker and his youngest daughter, Annis, on her wedding day, 24 May 1958

Morgan and Genevieve Walker, leaving St. James' Episcopal Church (Alexandria, LA) after Jeff and Annis Horn's wedding, 1958

Morgan (far right) on a fishing trip with friends in Cuba

Morgan with Ed Walker, his "double first cousin."

Cuddling (and sniffing) his baby girl, Annis

"Daddy on the mule," Mama called this picture. She said that he was such a joker, she has no idea why he was on that mule!

Morgan and George Davis, the Walkers' horse groom, who worked for the Walker family for many years.

Morgan and his wife, Genevieve James Walker

Morgan Walker reading to one of the Horn children (Martha?)

Standing amongst the flowering trees

MORGAN WAILES WALKER, son of Ezriah Walker and Frances Marian Stovall
b. 20 Aug 1893 in Dodson, Winn Parish, Louisiana
m. 3 Sep 1922 in Alexandria, Rapides, Louisiana
d. 20 Feb 1983 in Alexandria, Rapides, Louisiana
bur. Greenwood Memorial Cemetery, Pineville, Rapides, Louisiana

Remembrances of her Daddy, by Martha Annis Walker Horn, taken from the cookbook compiled by her daughter, Georgia Horn Blissett, 2005.

"My father, Morgan Wailes Walker, was born on August 20th, 1893 in Dodson, LA. When he was about nine years old, he stepped on a thorn and began to have problems and pain in his foot and leg. The doctor thought he might have TB of the bone, so he took him to New Orleans to be treated. He stayed in the hospital for about three weeks and was so lonely he cried every night. Surgery ruled out TB of the bone, but didn't correct the problem. His foot and leg still hurt him so badly that he had to walk with a little crutch.

Finally, when he was about eighteen years old, Daddy told his doctor that he wanted his leg amputated. Before taking such drastic action, Dr. Pankey took him the Mayo Clinic for evaluation. Doctors there were also unable to identify the source of the problem, and they removed his leg just below the knee.

Years later, Daddy was told the pain was probably coming from a pinched nerve. He had phantom pain in that leg for the rest of his life. I believe his handicap was probably the making of him. He was determined not to let it hold him back."

"At mealtime, Daddy invited anyone that happened to be in his office at that time, whether they be king or peasant."

Photographs of Interurban Buslines found here, posted by Matthew Hall.

Louisiana State University's Dairy Science Department offers a Morgan W. Walker scholarship. For more info, click here.

The "Morgan Walker House," the house on Horseshoe Drive, is on the List of Registered Historic Places in Louisiana. They are looking for information on the house. Click here to help.

There is a crate from Walker-Roemer Dairies for sale for $25 here.

PLEASE CONTRIBUTE ANY CORRECTIONS OR ANY OTHER INFORMATION OR MEMORIES YOU MAY HAVE ABOUT MORGAN WAILES WALKER. Thanks!

I got the following information concerning the Morgan W. Walker Dairy Sciences scholarship at LSU on 8 Aug 2006. Dr. Ronald Gough, a retired faculty member from the Dairy Sciences department, sent me this information. Dr. Gough worked in the Dairy Science Dept for over 30 years, so he is the one I contacted:

"The Morgan W. Walker Scholarship was established during the tenure of Dr. J.B. Frye, Jr. Dr. Frye was very much involved with the Louisiana dairy industry for his entire tenure at LSU. His leadership ran very deep in this area and involved both dairy farms and dairy processing plants.

The Morgan W. Walker Scholarship is 25 plus years old. Morgan Walker was very active in the areas of dairy farming and dairy processing. Morgan W. Walker was selected as the 1950 Louisiana Dairyman of the Year by the LSU Dairy Science Club. This award has been given annually to those individuals who are leaders in the Louisiana dairy industry from 1947-2006. What I remember most about him was his ownership in the Walker-Cloverland Dairy Plant on McArthur Drive in Alexandria, close to the South Circle. This area is now filled with retail stores. If my memory serves me correctly this dairy plant later was known as Walker-Roemer Dairy. I believe C.E. Roemer who owned a plant on Airline Hwy. called Roemer Dairies, forged a partnership with Morgan W. Walker. At one time the name, Walker-Roemer was on both plants. The plant in Alexandria closed first with the New Orleans location bought out by Browns Velvet Dairy (Brown's Dairy) in New Orleans."

Dr. Gough also spoke with Dr. J.D. Roussel and asked him if he remembered Mr. Walker. Dr. Roussel is a retired faculty member of the LSU Department of Dairy Science. Roussel was a former student in the Dairy Program at the old Dean Lee Center (LSUA) north of LeCompte. He remembers Morgan W. Walker very well and said that he can see part of the Walker property he remembers when he is traveling on I-49—just out of Alexandria going toward Shreveport.

New Blog!

After consultation with my wise husband, I have determined that I will create one blog for each of the four main ancestral lines of our family. There will be links in the sidebar to a blog for the Horn family, the Walker family, the Parker family, and the Britton family. That way, you can each contribute to the blog which pertains to your relatives, and you won't have to deal with all those other people you've never heard of!

Please bookmark those blogs which pertain to you. I feel like we all have a responsibility to contribute to these family histories. It is easy to comment and share your memories or corrections, and I will then post them to the pertinent posts.

I'll post my latest efforts on each blog, and I hope you'll share any information you may have as well. I'll use it as a place to post pictures so you can all have copies. All you need to do is click on the picture and download it onto your computer. Then you can save and print it, or bring it to a photo shop to have to made for you.

Also, please feel free to make corrections. Many of you are more familiar with your specific ancestors than I am, and I may have some information wrong. Anyway, enjoy!