Son of Appollos Benjamin Walker and Sarah Jane Holman

1m - Emma Idella Cobbley, married 30 Dec 1896 in Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah, USA- they have 14 children

2m- Josephine Greenwood, married 25 Aug 1925- they have one son


On Oct. 12, 1878 there came into this world a baby boy, the son of Appollos Benjamin Walker and Sarah Jane Holman.
The family lived in part of the big house owned by grandfather Henson Walker, Jr. That evening the mother became ill, and as the time for the coming of the little stranger was a month away, they did not become alarmed. There were no doctors in those days in this town. As the night wore on, the mother grew worse and they realized that they must have help from somewhere. The young father called Aunt Margaret, the family nurse, who lived in the same house, to come in while he went for the woman who had been engaged to take care of the case. He started for Mrs. Pratt but she was away from home, so he went after Mrs. Farnsworth. Not finding her he hurrried back to where Mrs. Phelps lived. She prepared herself as soon as possible and went to the home only to find that she was too late, for the little fellow would not wait for her. Aunt Margaret, that good kind soul,had rendered all the service necessary and had cared for both mother and child. Sister Phelps told him once when he was quite a boy that she helped him into the world, but he replied that he helped himself into the world. He was the second in a family of seven children, having one brother eighteen months older than he. When the baby was yet very small, only a few weeks old, he was given the name of James Henson (called as Jim), bearing the name of both of his pioneer grandfathers. He was blessed by Thomas Woolley, Dec. 7, 1878.
May 1881 the family moved out in the basin to their new home which was a small two-roomed house made from rock hauled from the nearby hills. Many people had predicted that they would strave to death on this new place, but having inherited some of that dauntless pioneer spirit, they went forth to dare and to do or die.
All seven children, they grew up together, they loved each other and theirs was a happy home. Loving parents made peace and contentment reign supreme even though they had little of the riches of the world.

The father cultivated the farm and when opportunity afforded, he went away to work to help with living expenses and improvements. When he was away, mother must tend the chores so the older boys learned early to assume responsibility. The cows msut be driven to the herd nearly half mile away. Two little boys drove them through sagebrush so tall only the backs of the cows could be seen, and two small boys followed over well-beaten trails back home. Gnats were so plentiful they got in their eyes and ears. Sometimes the cows wandered from the trail to get a fresher bunch of grass. Ben would begin to worry and fret and call for Jim to hurry, but Jim seemed not afraid of trouble even when so small a boy and eventhough they ran off-he could find his way back.
In the winter they stayed at home a good deal for it was a long cold ride to town, and while they were at home they were not exposed to disease and scikness. Their summer recreation consisted of a trip to Grandma Walker's about twice a month, and ocassionally the mother had her sister took the two older boys to swim in the canal. Ben could be easily ducked under the water, but Jim was always on his guard and if Aunt Nan tried to catch him, he would faily skim over the bank of the canal and down the road where she couoldn't get him. One wintr night the house caught on fire. The chimneys had not yet been built. Mother happened to look out of the window and saw the light shining onthe snow. They went to the door to see what had caused it and found the roof ablaze. Father put a ladder against the side of the house, took a can of water that had been used to wash the supper dishes, and had been saved to feed the pigs the next morning and climbed to the top of the ladder. He took the bail of the can between his teeth and in his stocking feet, pulled himself up the edge of the slippery roof where he poured the water on the fire thus putting it out. They were only small children but they had learned a lesson they never forgot. They thanked a kind Heavenly Father that their lives and their home had been spared. One winter a terrible epidemic of diphtheria spread through the country. The parents watched their little broad with fear and trembling. The town's only odctor, Dr. Rogers, was sent for, he came, looked over the children and pronounced diphtheria. Throats msut be cleaned out. He wrapped cotton on the end of slender sticks, dipped them in medicine and rubber them up and down their throats as far as he could. Ben and Jennie took theirs first and becasue of theri dispositions- took it with good grace, but Jim kicked the doctor's shins furiously and when he could get the swab out of his mouth to speak, he looked up at the doctor and said, "Darn you, you'd choke a feller to death." The doctor looked at him a moment and turning to mother said, "You won't have to worry about this boy, he'll be all right." LAter, they all had mumps but he was all right except for a hurt "in the little ditch down the back of the neck."
The boys were getting old enough to start to school, they went to the little rock schoolhouse. If they were a little late, Ben would begin to worry and sometimes cry for Jim to go faster. But Jim would go on at about his certain gate, if he got there in time it was all right, if he didn't he would not cry about it.
He was baptized in the canal oon his eighth birthday bu his father.
When he was nearly eleen years old he met with a serious accident. He was riding a horse on an errand. On the way home the horse became unmanagement by so small a boy and ran away, crowding Jim up against a barbed wire fence. He pulled at the horse's head but the harder he pulled, the closer the horse crowded to the fence until the boy's leg was dragging against the wire. It cut the leg badly in several places. When he rode in the yard, he called for help. Father went out to see what was the matter. The leg was bleeding profusly. Father lifted him down and carreid him into the house. A large piece of muscle in the fleshly part of the calf of the leg was nearly cut loose. Dr. Rogerscame. He disinfected the wounds, sewed up the worst part and left Jim propped up in the big chair with his injured leg on another chair. Anesthtics were unknown then. He had to weather through it allas best he could. Mother was a good nurse and eventually the sore leg was well again except for an ugly scar which he carried throughtout his life.
In the fall of 1892 he had malaria fever but got well later. Early in October 1981 father was called to serve as a missionary in the North Central States Mission. Two boys, age 13 and 14, were left to take care of the farm, do the chores and got to the school. They assumed theri responsibility like two little men and carried on with all their work. About this time the older children who had finsihed their school work at the Stringtown School must go to Pleasant Grove, a distance of three miles, getting there anyway they could in all kinds of weather. In the spring of 1896 their elementary work was finsihed and in September of that year, he entered the BYU Academy.

It was Dec. 27, 1986 that he married Emma Idella Cobbley.
In 1897 he entered the U of U where he contnued for two years. He worked hard early and late; usually rising at 4 am to study until time for school. At the end of the secondyear, he was qualified to take a school in the grammar grades. He took the State Teacher's Examination in the summer of 1898 and received his certificate and began to teach in September at the Lindon school. He worked hard just as hard as a teacher as he had a student, not only to bring his pupils up to a higher standard but to continue his own studies. He had grown up with the people of this community and was so much a part of it that people could hardly realize that one of their own number, so young and inexperienced would undertake to train their young people. By the end of the first few weeks he had made all concerned realize that he was in earnest, an old and young alike respected Mr. Walker. He taught in Lindon three years, during which time he wa active in church, working in Sunday School, Mutual, and as Choir Leader.
He moved his family to Pleasant Grove in the little house owned by Aunt Catherine White. Later they bought the home east of the Mercantile Store.
In 1901 he was made Principal of the Pleasant Grove School District. The Pleasant Grove Ward was divided into three wards May 6, 1909 and Pres. Joseph F. Smith set him apart to act as Bishop of the Third Ward that was just organized. He served in this position until 1923.

During this time his first great sorrow came to him. It was the accidental death of their little son, Myron, who was killed Apr. 27, 1915, at the age of five years. It was a great shock to the family. Bitter as these dregs were he took them and emerged from the experience a bigger, better, more sympathetic man.
In 1920 he bought a large farm in Idaho Falls, Idaho to try to keep his family together and employed. This proved an unsuccessful venture and it took several years of careful management to emerge from this loss.
For fifteen years he had taught in the Pleasant Grove Schools, advancing from grade school teacher to principal. The High School was inaugrated under his supervision and he was its first principal. From there he became Supetintendent of the Alpine School Districh for six years.
After nearly twenty-five years of this responsibility he began to feel that he had done his part in this direction and he resigned to accept a position with the MacMillan Publishing Co. of New York. He did this work as he had done everything else. He put his whole heart and soul into it. He traveled all over the western states. (He became one of the companies' leading and most successful salesman).
It was while on one of these trips to California to a convention that his wife passed away after an illness of only a few hours, on the morning of July 4, 1923. This was a great trial and sorrow. He trembled under the weight of this load. To fill the place of father and mother to his family of thirteen children, the last two still very young, and maintain the standards and idelas they as parents had set for their family from the first, was indeed a great responsibility. Fortunately for him, his mother to whom he had always turned, was alive and in good health for a woman of her gae. She gave up everything and made her home with him to help care for the children. It was quite a struggle. He must still go on with his work. His mother remained with him until August 1925 when he married Josephine Greenwood. They have one son, Benjamin. Josie proved to be a wonderful mother to the family. The children grew up with a great deal of love and respect for the foster mother. About this time they remodeled and added tot he old home. The grounds were landscaped and when the job was completed, it was considered one of the finest homes in the city. He had made a member of teh High Council since the organization of the Stake, much of this time he worked with the Adult Aaronic Priesthood. He had the pleasure of seeing his teachings and his labors bear fruit among these backward men. It was under his direction that his group placed the monument on the corner of the City Park.

His health began to fail, but he would not give up. He tried to encourage everybody else to take care of themselves and be happy. For many years he had been interested in the affairs of the local bank and canning company. At this time he was President of the Pleasant Grove Bank and one of the Board of Directors of the Pleasant Grove Canning Co. He knew he was ill, desperately so, but he would not give up until one day late in September when his tired system refused to carry on longer; he suffered a stroke and on Sept. 30, 1937, he passed away with his family near him.
Funeral services were held on the foloowing Sunday, Oct. 3, in the Stake Tabernacle. Friends came from far and near. The building was filled to capacity and many waited outside.
Thus came the close of a wonderful personality. He was a thinker, a man of keen intellect, broad understaking, and tolerant sympathy. He was the father of fifteen children, and he regarded his family as his greatest asset. Thirteen of his chldren graduated from the Pleasant Grove High School. All have had college training and most of them have college degrees. Two have filled missions for the Church. Eight of the number have been successful teachers and all were dcvoted members of the Church.

By Jennie Walker Johnson, sister