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Submitted: 9/10/20 • Approved: 10/17/20 • Last Updated: 10/20/20 • R351023-G0-S3
April 2, 1859, Louisiana - November 19, 1939, Cameron, Milam County, Texas
*OBITUARY
TOM WALKER, BORN A SLAVE, DIES HERE
Tom Walker, 80 year old former negro slave, died at 2:35 Sunday, November 19.
Born a slave in Bellview, Bossier Parish, La., on April 2, 1859, Walker at the age of 4, came to Cameron in 1863, with the late Dr. Erasmus Edwards, and had lived in this city since that time except for 13 years when he resided in Waco.
Mrs. Pearl Clement, grand daughter of the late Dr. Edwards assisted with funeral arrangements because the aged former slave was the property of her mother's family. Mrs. Idella Green, mother of Mrs. Clement, was 12 years old when her father, the late Dr. Edwards came to Cameron and Tom Walker, then a small boy came along with the family.
Walker's family had been the property of the Hollaway family of Virginia since the first slaves were brought to America and when Dr. Edwards came to Cameron in 1863, he brought the faithful slaves with him.
Mrs. Idella Green, who at that time was Miss Idella Edwards, claimed Tom Walker, a little boy of 4 years, as her personal property and after the civil war was over and the slaves had been freed, this family of slaves remained faithful friends of their former owners.
Mrs. Edwards died while quite young and Walker's mother lived in the Edwards' home where she was affectionately called their "black mammy." Walker's grand mother had the official duty of spinning and weaving the cloth for the use of the family and a priceless possession of Mrs. Pearl Clement today is a counterpin woven over one hundred years ago and handed down to her as an heirloom.
In later years Walker married Mary Harmon, whose family were early day Texas slaves having been brought to Milam county by the grand parents of Mrs. Hallie Wofford of this city. Their marriage is a romantic story to Calvert in Robertson county to obtain their marriage license only to find that all the records and other data of the county clerk's office were on the train being moved to Franklin where the new county seat was to be established, and their license was issued from a box car.
The old couple is well known in Cameron and have many friends here among white citizens as well as those of their own race. In the words of one who had known them since childhood, they were always honest and upright in their dealings with others and had lived an honorable life.
By trade Walker was a mason's helper but worked at odd jobs all his life. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon with burial in the negro cemetery near Wilson-Ledbetter Park.
The Cameron Herald(Cameron, Texas), 23 Nov 1939, Thu, Page 1
Family Members
Spouse
Mary Harmon Walker
1861–1940
Children
Charity Walker Booker
1886–1936
Florine Walker Allen
1890–1929
Contributed on 9/10/20 by lynst.peters62
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Record #: 351023