South Carolina Genealogy

A forwarded message from Doyle Boggs – they’re looking for a descendant of Professor William Walker… read on for details.

Happy New Year, everyone.

I am very pleased to share some exciting news with you, and also ask your assistance in a very important matter!

Each year, the South Carolina Hall of Fame in Myrtle Beach honors one living and one deceased citizen for his or her landmark contribution to our state and its people. One of the 2011 inductees will be Professor William Walker (1809-1875), best known today for his authorship of the shape-note hymnals Southern Harmony and Christian Harmony. At Wofford College, of course, we honor him also as a prominent and useful citizen of Spartanburg. I do not yet have a definite date for the Hall of Fame ceremonies, but they will be held in late February or early March, and you are all invited to come (and perhaps sing.)

Here is why I need your help as soon as possible. The Hall of Fame organizers typically asks a family member of the deceased recipient to accept the honor and unveil the plaque during the ceremony. This trail becomes a bit problematic for someone who may be as many as a half-dozen generations removed from 2011, but we do know that William Walker and his wife, Amy Golightly Walker, were the parents of five sons and five daughters:
Joseph D. Walker (lived in Arkansas)
Abaslom Walker (lived in Texas)
The Rev. Miles T. Walker (lived in Texas)
Franklin B. Walker (Elberton, Ga.)
a fifth son predeceased his father and had no children
Mrs. J.B. Davis (Greenville, SC)
Mrs. Emma Logan (Forest City, NC)
Mrs. Lou Lynch (Rutherfordton, NC)
Mrs. Flora Justice (Rutherfordton, NC)
Miss Mary Walker (buried beside her father in Spartanburg’s Magnolia Cemetery; no children)

Please circulate this information for me. If you are a member of one of these families, or know someone who is related to Professor Walker, I certainly would like to be able to pass along the information to my contact at the Hall of Fame, Amie Lee. If you would like to call me rather than respond to this e-mail, you may do so at 864-597-4182.

SAVE THE DATE: Wofford College again plans to the host for the annual William Walker Memorial Singing on Saturday, March 19. The format will be the same as in past years. I hope to see you here.

—

Doyle Boggs
Associate Vice President, Marketing and Communications
Wofford College
429 North Church Street
Spartanburg, S.C. 29303-3663
Phone (864) 597-4182 / Fax (864) 597-4179
E-mail: boggsdw@wofford.edu

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 30th, 2011 at 9:24 pm and is filed under Events. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.