Murry Kimble Walker was born November 19, 1875, in Elkhorn (now Hailstone), Utah, the son of William Henry and Ada Louisa Phippen Walker. He was the first of three children in the Walker households to die during the 1879 diphtheria epidemic. He and two half-sisters, Josephine and Sarah, died of diphtheria within one week of each other. Little Murray passed from this life July 7, 1879, in Hailstone. He was buried with two siblings and two half-siblings in the little cemetery on his family's ranch. He was 3 ½ years old.

An excerpt from an article written by Thelma Mahoney Anderson:

"Because of the fear of the disease, the undertaker in Heber City would not come to the Walker Ranch, so he brought three little coffins halfway where William Henry Walker, Jr., age 19, rode on horseback to pick them up."

The little cemetery referred to above is the Walker Cemetery created on the ranch of William Henry Walker and his wives, Lydia Ann Horne Walker and Ada Louisa Phippen Walker. A printed history states that “within two years” of the marriage of William and Ada on August 1, 1870, the family moved to Heber City and then later to “a ranch on the Provo River, about 1 mile above Hailstone.” William built two log homes, one for each wife and family. In 1987, their graves were moved and placed near their parents final resting place in the Heber City Cemetery when the Jordanelle Reservoir and Dam were planned. A very special thanks to Mike Jensen for his research and submission of these important details to honor these five precious little Walker children. Please see the history of Walker Cemetery and the letter to the Bureau of the Reclamation written by Thelma Mahoney Anderson, that Mike submitted, below:
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HISTORY OF THE WALKER CEMETERY

"The little cemetery close to State Road 189 is approximately ten miles north and east of Heber City,. Utah on the road to Kamas, Utah and near the Provo River. It was at a location almost directly south of the cemetery, between the highway and the Provo River - a distance of about 500 feet that William Henry Walker brought his two wives (he being a polygamist) in 1875. His first wife was Lydia Ann Horn [sic] whom he had married in 1857. To them were born ten children.

"His second wife was Ada Louisa Phippen Hale Mahoney and they were married in 1870. Ada Louisa brought three children with her, Esther Hale and Jeremiah and Elmer Mahoney. She was divorced from her first husband, and her second husband died about five years after their marriage.

"Mr. Walker built two logs homes for his two wives and their families. Mr. Walker and Ada Louisa had seven children, making a total of twenty children living there. However, one child from each family had died before the family moved to the Provo River location, and were buried in other cemeteries. In one week, during the diphtheria epidemic in 1879, three of the children died. Murray [sic] Kimble, age four, and son of Ada Louisa, died on July 7th; Sarah, age 5, on the 9th; and Josephine, age 7, on the 14th. Sarah and Josephine were daughters of Lydia Ann. Because of the fear of the disease, the undertaker in Heber City would not come to the Walker Ranch, so he brought three little coffins halfway where William Henry Walker, Jr., age 19, rode on horseback to pick them up. This fact was brought to light during a visit with Dora Sawyer, age 83, who lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, and is a granddaughter of Lydia Ann Horn [sic]. The three children were the first ones buried in the little cemetery.

"In February, 1882, Ada Eugene, age 4, opened the stove door with her apron. Her clothing caught fire and she died of burns and was also buried in the little cemetery. She was the daughter of Ada Louisa; and then in 1885, Ada Louisa buried a stillborn daughter, Caroline, there. A cedar tree was planted that now covers all of the graves and a pole fence was placed around the site that can easily be seen from the highway."

The above article was written and submitted to the Bureau of Reclamation in Provo, Utah in May of 1979 by Thelma Mahoney Anderson, daughter of Elmer Clarence Mahoney and granddaughter of Ada Louisa Mahoney Walker. Thelma's husband, Lindsay Anderson, worked for the Bureau of Reclamation at that time, and the information was requested because of the plans to build the Jordanelle Reservoir, whose waters would cover the Walker Cemetery. At that time, they planned to move the remains to the Heber City Cemetery. Now, in 1987, they have proposed building a memorial near the new highway as an alternative to moving the remains to the Heber Cemetery.

The following information was found on a board nailed to the cedar tree at the grave sites by Lindsay and Thelma M. Anderson. The next time we visited there, the board was gone. Also, information was taken from the family group sheet of Henry Walker and Ada Louisa.

Walker
Josephine Sept. 4, 1872 July 14, 1879
7 years old
Sarah Dec. 18, 1874 July 9, 1879
5 years old
Murray Kimble Nov. 19, 1875 July 7, 1879
4 years
Genie Louisa April 10, 1878 Feb. 18, 1882
4 years
Caroline June 1885
Stillborn
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April 13, 1987

Bureau of Reclamation Provo, Utah

Gentlemen:

The twelve surviving grandchildren of William Henry Walker, Lydia Ann Horn Walker, and Ada Louisa Phippen Mahoney Walker have been contacted and all agree that the Walker Graves, containing the remains of five children of the Walkers who died very young, should be removed from their location northeast of Heber City, Utah to the Heber City Cemetery.

Arrangements have been made at the cemetary [sic] to bury them on the lot next to their parents. If possible, the family would appreciate having the graves moved on Thursday, July 9, 1987.

The waters from the Jordanelle Dam will eventually cover the burial site on Highway 189.

Respectfully yours,

Thelma Mahoney Anderson
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--Sources: Mike Jensen, a Find A Grave contributor | Thelma Mahoney Anderson, descendant | Compiled by Annie Duckett Hundley on 2 November 2016