Sometimes we encounter people who in life are mostly focused on what they can get the world to do for them, or how they can wring the most personal profit out of every situation. On the other hand, to me it is great to encounter people who don't ask a great deal for themselves, but who are seemingly always ready to "help out as they can" and always happy to be helping their fellow human beings. I saw Russell Walker as one of those people who was always happy to "Help out as he could!"
Russell seemed to have enjoyed seeing structures being erected which would serve families and the community, and he was involved in building and repairing or remodeling many, many houses and other buildings around Pea Ridge through the years. He cared greatly about the life of the church, and gave many of his 97 years to service as an elder in Mt. Vernon Presbyterian, helping guide and carry on the ministries of his church. He taught a Sunday school class for many years, until finally yielding recently to the infirmities of age. He also seems to have loved seeing things grow, and through most of his long life he cultivated a home garden every year, producing a variety of garden goods for himself and others.
Throughout the time I have known him, Russell has been involved in "seeing after" the Pea Ridge Cemetery. This apparently began as a family involvement, with Russell helping his father, Pete Walker, in caring for the cemetery years ago. After returning to Pea Ridge at the close of World War II, Russell was soon asked to become a member of the Cemetery's Executive Board, and for many years he served as president of the board. When in 2011 he finally asked others to take up his duties with the cemetery, he had given some 67 years of service on the Cemetery Board. He not only helped with cemetery administration, but could often be seen around the cemetery with his blue Ford pickup and tools, cutting sprouts, cleaning up downed limbs and stray flowers, spraying poison ivy vines, and in many hands-on ways helping to keep the cemetery neat and clean. Many years ago he built the brown stonework cemetery sign which greets visitors entering the cemetery from the Dodge Street south entrance. Most of the cemetery's plat work, laying out the burial plots and arranging the cemetery, has been Russell's work.
Many Pea Ridgers will remember Russell Walker as a poll worker, helping with elections in the community. I know that for a number of years he served as the precinct sheriff for Pea Ridge elections. I wish I had thought to ask him about what year he began as a poll worker. We know that he was overseeing elections when the Pea Ridge Emergency Services Building was constructed and began serving as the community's polling place. He may have also guided elections held in old downtown, in the "old" days.
Russell also served for a number of years on the Pea Ridge School Board. I think that would have been in the early 1960s, and possibly earlier. My own 1957 high school diploma was signed by Lewis Bell, who had been president of the School Board in the late 1950s. I think Russell was a member of the School Board, and possibly its president, after Mr. Bell's tenure. I don't know just what year was involved, but Russell told me once of a school election which was held in the old auditorium of the 1930 school building. He said the election was being held in February, and the weather was treacherous and icy cold. Almost no one came out to vote other than the school board members who were serving as poll workers.
Many of us who are active in the Pea Ridge Historical Society are especially appreciative of Russell and his involvement with us for the past 10 years. He not only has benefited our work by his carpentry skills, but has done informative programs for us, and has been an invaluable source of information about the Pea Ridge community of earlier days. In recent years we have regarded him as the senior patriarch of the Historical Society. He would never just pay his dues. He would write his check for from 10 to 20 times the amount of the dues. We came to regard him as a lifetime member who we would no longer bill for dues, but I think he is paid up for another 20 years anyway. We'll always appreciate his good nature, his quiet-spoken personality and his supportive friendship.
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Contact Jerry Nichols by email at [email protected] or call him at (479) 621-1621.
Community on 09/10/2014