Individual Details

Death

Mary Frances Templeton Walker, 91, died Tuesday, October 30, 2007, at Midland Memorial Hospital. Memorial services will be Saturday, November 10, 2007 at 10 A.M. in the sanctuary of First United Methodist Church, 300 North Main Street, Midland, Texas. The family will receive friends in the church parlor immediately following the service. In honor of our mother, please join the family in wearing purple to the service. In lieu of flowers and for those desiring, memorial contributions are suggested to First United Methodist Church Library Fund, 305 N. Baird Street, Midland, 79701, Midland County Library, Genealogical Section, 301 W. Missouri, Midland, 79701, Permian Basin Girl Scouts to support Camp Mitre Peak, 5217 N. Dixie, Odessa, TX, 79762, Historical Wellington Restoration (RITZ Theatre) c/o Gay McAllister, 1600 Haskell St., Wellington, TX 79095 or to a charity of choice. Mary Frances was born February 10, 1916, in Wellington, Texas. She was the daughter of Texas State Representative Rufus Lee Templeton and Cleopatra Small Templeton. Her grandparents, Judge Edward Henry Small and his wife Olivia Parthenia Furr Small were pioneers of Collingsworth County, Texas. She graduated from Wellington High School, received a B.S. degree from Texas State College for Women (now known as Texas Women's University), Denton, Texas, 1937 and a M.A. from the Colorado State College of Education (now known as the University of Northern Colorado), Greeley, Colorado, 1941. She completed post-graduate studies at Texas Tech University, University of Houston, University of Hawaii, University of Colorado and Southern Methodist University. She resided in Wellington, Shamrock, Hinesville (Georgia), Big Spring, Abilene, and El Paso prior to moving to Midland in 1955. Frances was a high school history teacher and taught at Midland High School for 17 years. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Midland for 52 years and a Sunday School teacher for the Buddy Wood class. She made a life long pursuit of the study of God's Word through, Disciple Bible Study, Women of Worship, Wednesday Night Live, Women's Retreat's, several circles of United Methodist Women at the local, district, and conference levels. She was a member of Delta Kappa Gamma for 43 years (served as president of the Epsilon Eta Chapter), Midland Genealogy Society (served as president and editor), Midland Historical Society, Permian Basin Historical Society, Permian Basin Stamp Club, and Permian Basin Girl Scouts (served on the board and as a leader). Mary Frances took great delight in attending over 35 reunions of the 1252nd Combat Engineer Battalion of which her husband, John, served as commander of Company A in World War II. In 2002 Mary Frances was honored as a Woman of Distinction from the Girl Scouts of the Permian Basin Council. In the same year she attained a life long goal to visit all fifty states of America by traveling to Rhode Island and Vermont. She enjoyed visits to Europe, Israel, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti and Trinidad. Her hobbies included genealogy, crossword puzzles, stamp-collecting and map study. Mary Frances had a passion for knowledge. She was a lifelong student and teacher, interested in everybody and everything, but particularly history, geography, and religion. She never turned down an opportunity to travel, even later in life when it was hard for her. She pushed herself, and others, so that she would never miss out on anything. Near the end of her life she said, "I'm not afraid of dying, but there's so much I still want to do." She will be missed, but will live on in the hearts and minds of family and the many hundreds of people who knew and loved her. In addition to her parents, Mary Frances was preceded in death by her husband of 52 years, John Winters Walker, Sr. in 1991. Survivors include sister, Olivia Templeton Hill of Wellington; children, John W. Walker, Jr. and wife, Karen of Amarillo, Winifred A. Walker and husband, Bob Wagner, of Etna, California, and Scott T. Walker and wife, Janina, of Fort Worth; grandchildren, John W. Walker, III and wife, Tiffany of Dallas, Robert L. Walker and wife, Shannon, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Wynne T. Walker and wife, Jenni, of Houston, and Janina Walker Holland and husband, J.R., of Fort Worth; great-grandchildren, John W. Walker, IV of Dallas, Eliot Grace Walker of Houston, John Joseph Walker of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; niece, Frances Hill Schmidt of Wellington; a multitude of cousins and friends who she loved and served. Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences can be made at www.npwelch.com. Published in the Midland Reporter-Telegram on 11/9/2007.