Walker, Wayne M.

WALKER, DICKINSON, WALL, SELL, FISHER, RABE, CLAFLIN, FRANILLO, THOMPSON

Posted By: Ruth Maring - Volunteer poster (email)
Date: 9/3/2008 at 18:07:24

Walker, Wayne M. View/Sign Guest Book

SABULA — Wayne M. Walker, age 84, of Gilbert, Arizona, died suddenly and unexpectedly August 25, 2008, at the home of his sister and brother-in-law, Joyce and Rick Dickinson, in Sabula, Iowa. He was on his annual visit to Sabula and the Walker farm, located at 56394 1st St, Sabula, Iowa. Memorial services will be held at a later date in Sabula and Gilbert, Arizona.Wayne was born on November 6, 1923, on the Walker farm in Iowa Township, the son of Edwin K. Walker and Grace (Wall) Walker. He attended the one-room Walker school on the farm and Miles High School, graduating in May of 1942. Wayne studied one year at Loras College in Dubuque and then served in the United States Merchant Marine from 1943 through 1947. He then returned to Iowa work on the family farm, as his parents had retired and moved to Sabula. After a brief stint of working for his brother-in-law, Myron Sell, building houses in Minnesota, he worked in the chemical department at DuPont of Clinton, Iowa. In 1953, he returned to the Walker farm, where he farmed until his retirement in 1988. During this time he built one grain dryer, two silos, one house, and one barn, as well as always helping his neighbors on their farms.On May 20, 1950, he married Jeanne Fisher of Savanna, Illinois, in St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Sabula, Iowa. They had six children, Mary Jo, Nancy, Edwin, Mark, Eric and Peggy. After retiring from the farm, Wayne and Jeanne relocated to Gilbert, Arizona, where their children Nancy, Ed and Eric live. Wayne was a member of the Farm Bureau and the American Legion. Wayne was a wonderful storyteller; able to tell funny stories for hours about people he’d known and places he’d been. He had a passion for cars, tractors and grandfather clocks as well as making friends with every new person he met. Wayne was a selfless, hard-working, generous, and kind husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle to his family members who miss him terribly, his wife, Jeanne, daughters Mary Jo (Franz) Rabe, Nancy (Bill) Claflin with grandson Bob, and Peggy Walker, sons Edwin (Jana Granillo) Walker with granddaughter Erin, Mark (Linda) Walker with grandson Christopher and granddaughter Kerry, Eric (Catherine) Walker with granddaughters Elizabeth and Michelle, and sisters Joyce (Rick) Dickinson and Margaret Sell, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, grandnieces, grandnephews, etc. He was preceded in death by his parents, sister, Joan Thompson, and brother-in-law, Myron Sell.Death date: Aug. 25, 2008
Published in the Clinton Herald from 8/27/2008 - 8/29/2008