lewis walker
1884-1963
Life Story
Biography
February 17, 1884 – May 9, 1963
Early Life
Lewis Walker was born on February 17, 1884, in Newton County, Mississippi, to Luke Walker (1842–1912) and Lydia Evans Walker (1855–1900). After the death of his mother, he was raised by his father and stepmother, Virginia Evans Walker, within the extended Walker–Evans family network.
Marriage and Family
Lewis married Cora Evans (1886–1962), the daughter of Augustus “Gus” Evans (1847-1926) and Iley Jane Evans (1860-1955). Together they raised a large family in Newton County. Their known children were:
- Iley Genolia Walker (1908–?)
- Donza Jerry Walker (1910–1972)
- Astoria Walker (1914–?)
- Arzola Walker (1918–1978)
- Effie Mae Walker (1918–?)
- Gladson Walker (1919–1985)
- Clardie Lewis Walker (1922–1974)
- Cora A. Walker (1923–1978)
- Pertha Walker (1925–?)
- Percy Walker (1927–1993)
- Cephus Walker (1929–1985)
Education and Occupation
Lewis completed approximately the sixth grade of elementary school. Throughout his life, he worked as a farm laborer and farmer. Records indicate that he worked long hours—approximately fifty hours per week—on his farm, reflecting the demanding agricultural economy of early twentieth-century Newton County.
Land and Financial Records
Lewis Walker appears in Newton County deed and trustee sale records, providing insight into the economic challenges faced by Black landholders. In 1909, Lewis and his wife Cora executed a deed of trust to secure a debt on farmland located in Section 7, Township 5, Range 11 East. A trustee’s sale notice published after default documents the threat of land loss that many African American farmers faced during this period, particularly amid limited access to credit and fluctuating agricultural markets.
Lewis Walker’s name also appears on Newton County poll-tax delinquency lists, situating him within the broader system of taxation and voter suppression that affected Black citizens in Mississippi during the Jim Crow era.
Church and Community Life
Lewis Walker was connected to the St. John Baptist Church, which served as both a religious and community center for the Walker family. His burial in the church graveyard further confirms the family’s longstanding association with this congregation.
Death and Burial
Lewis Walker passed away on May 9, 1963, at the age of 79. Funeral services were held on May 14, 1963, at St. John Baptist Church. He was laid to rest in the St. John Graveyard, alongside generations of Walker and Evans relatives.
Historical Context Note
Lewis Walker’s life reflects the trajectory of many African American men born in the post-Reconstruction South—raised by formerly enslaved parents, laboring as farmers, striving to retain land ownership, and anchoring family and community life through church affiliation despite systemic economic and political barriers.
Resting Place
Saint John Missionary Baptist Church Graveyard
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1900 Federal Census
- 1910 Federal Census
- 1920 Federal Census
- 1930 Federal Census
- 1940 Federal Census
- 1950 Federal Census
- U.S., Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current
- The Newton Record, Trustee Sale Notice, Thu, Dec 10, 1914 ·Page 3
- The Newton Record, Donza J. Walker Obituary, Wed, Nov 01, 1972 ·Page 19
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
- U.S., WWI Civilian Draft Registrations, 1917-1918
Leave a Reply