Dr. Thomas Thad "Tom" Walker of Bastrop, Texas
March 1, 1927 - July 9, 2019
Dr. Thomas Thad Walker, 92, Bastrop, TX passed away July 10, 2019 in Austin, TX.
He was born March 1, 1927 in Columbus, AR to Lawrence and Beatrice Bishop Walker. Dr. Walker was retired Professor at the Texas Education Agency.
He enrolled in Ouchita Baptist College, Arkadelphia, AR in the fall of 1945. During his Freshman Year, ne met a fellow student, Edna Dove from Rogers, AR. Although, she was born in Texas and grew up in Missouri and Northwest Arkansas, her father was born in Columbus and was of two Columbus families-the Readers or the Dovers.
Thomas Thad Walker and Edna Dove were married in May 1946. Over the next six years they had three children: Thad; Mary; and Don.
They were divorced in 1961 and he remained single until August 1967 when he married Margaret Gunstenson Hurtt.
In addition to his church work, his work life included many various jobs while making a living for his family and paying for his education. Some of these jobs were exterior painting for college; cleaning and repairing kerosene heating and cook stoves for apartments owned by the college; office work of various kinds; stock boy for a large grocery store; driving a fork lift on the loading dock for a freight company; carpenter’s helper on construction jobs; cleaning the ice cream machines at the end of day for a wholesale dairy company; re-possessing unpaid-for items and collecting delinquent debts; selling shoes for the shoe store; labor accounting for Convair Aircraft in Fort Worth, Texas; and others. No job was too menial or too difficult in providing a living for the family and in paying school expenses.
During his junior high and high school days, he raised turkeys for his clothing and spending money. Also, he had several head of cattle and horses, including a saddle horse. When in his teen-years, he purchased and paid for 71 acres of land in his own name. After entering college, he sold his land, cattle, horses, and even his saddle to pay college expenses.
His college/university education extended over a period of a quite a number of years and he received degrees from three institutions in three states. He received the BS degree in Business Administration and Economics from Arkansas A & M College (now, University of Arkansas at Monticello), Monticello, AR; the Master of Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX; and both the Specialist Education degree (an advanced master’s degree) and the Doctor of Education degree from George Peabody College for Teachers (now a college of Vanderbilt University), Nashville, TN. In additions, he did post-graduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In addition to teaching school in Arkansas for two years, his work in education included serving as Dean and Registrar of Brewton-Parker Junior College in Georgia; serving in combined faculty and administrative positions at Mary Hardin-Baylor College, Belton, TX, at East Texas State University, Commerce, Texas, and at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota; work on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and at UNESCO Headquarters at Paris, France; and as Visiting Professor at California State University, Northridge, California. His last 18 years before retirement in 1986 were spent with the Texas Education Agency, Austin, TX, working with teacher education accreditation and public-school accreditation.
After moving to Austin, TX, he and Marg bred and exhibited show dogs for 45 years.
Dr. Tom, as he was affectionately known by family and friends, was pre-deceased by sons, Don and Chris; by one grandson; and by all three of his sisters.
He is survived by his wife, Marg; by son, Thad; by daughters Mary and Meribeth; and by several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Private services were held Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at Columbus Cemetery, under the direction of Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Home.
March 1, 1927 - July 9, 2019
Dr. Thomas Thad Walker, 92, Bastrop, TX passed away July 10, 2019 in Austin, TX.
He was born March 1, 1927 in Columbus, AR to Lawrence and Beatrice Bishop Walker. Dr. Walker was retired Professor at the Texas Education Agency.
He enrolled in Ouchita Baptist College, Arkadelphia, AR in the fall of 1945. During his Freshman Year, ne met a fellow student, Edna Dove from Rogers, AR. Although, she was born in Texas and grew up in Missouri and Northwest Arkansas, her father was born in Columbus and was of two Columbus families-the Readers or the Dovers.
Thomas Thad Walker and Edna Dove were married in May 1946. Over the next six years they had three children: Thad; Mary; and Don.
They were divorced in 1961 and he remained single until August 1967 when he married Margaret Gunstenson Hurtt.
In addition to his church work, his work life included many various jobs while making a living for his family and paying for his education. Some of these jobs were exterior painting for college; cleaning and repairing kerosene heating and cook stoves for apartments owned by the college; office work of various kinds; stock boy for a large grocery store; driving a fork lift on the loading dock for a freight company; carpenter’s helper on construction jobs; cleaning the ice cream machines at the end of day for a wholesale dairy company; re-possessing unpaid-for items and collecting delinquent debts; selling shoes for the shoe store; labor accounting for Convair Aircraft in Fort Worth, Texas; and others. No job was too menial or too difficult in providing a living for the family and in paying school expenses.
During his junior high and high school days, he raised turkeys for his clothing and spending money. Also, he had several head of cattle and horses, including a saddle horse. When in his teen-years, he purchased and paid for 71 acres of land in his own name. After entering college, he sold his land, cattle, horses, and even his saddle to pay college expenses.
His college/university education extended over a period of a quite a number of years and he received degrees from three institutions in three states. He received the BS degree in Business Administration and Economics from Arkansas A & M College (now, University of Arkansas at Monticello), Monticello, AR; the Master of Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX; and both the Specialist Education degree (an advanced master’s degree) and the Doctor of Education degree from George Peabody College for Teachers (now a college of Vanderbilt University), Nashville, TN. In additions, he did post-graduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In addition to teaching school in Arkansas for two years, his work in education included serving as Dean and Registrar of Brewton-Parker Junior College in Georgia; serving in combined faculty and administrative positions at Mary Hardin-Baylor College, Belton, TX, at East Texas State University, Commerce, Texas, and at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota; work on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and at UNESCO Headquarters at Paris, France; and as Visiting Professor at California State University, Northridge, California. His last 18 years before retirement in 1986 were spent with the Texas Education Agency, Austin, TX, working with teacher education accreditation and public-school accreditation.
After moving to Austin, TX, he and Marg bred and exhibited show dogs for 45 years.
Dr. Tom, as he was affectionately known by family and friends, was pre-deceased by sons, Don and Chris; by one grandson; and by all three of his sisters.
He is survived by his wife, Marg; by son, Thad; by daughters Mary and Meribeth; and by several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Private services were held Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at Columbus Cemetery, under the direction of Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Home.
Dr. Thomas Thad "Tom" Walker of Bastrop, Texas
March 1, 1927 - July 9, 2019
Dr. Thomas Thad Walker, 92, Bastrop, TX passed away July 10, 2019 in Austin, TX.
He was born March 1, 1927 in Columbus, AR to Lawrence and Beatrice Bishop Walker. Dr. Walker was retired Professor at the Texas Education Agency.
He enrolled in Ouchita Baptist College, Arkadelphia, AR in the fall of 1945. During his Freshman Year, ne met a fellow student, Edna Dove from Rogers, AR. Although, she was born in Texas and grew up in Missouri and Northwest Arkansas, her father was born in Columbus and was of two Columbus families-the Readers or the Dovers.
Thomas Thad Walker and Edna Dove were married in May 1946. Over the next six years they had three children: Thad; Mary; and Don.
They were divorced in 1961 and he remained single until August 1967 when he married Margaret Gunstenson Hurtt.
In addition to his church work, his work life included many various jobs while making a living for his family and paying for his education. Some of these jobs were exterior painting for college; cleaning and repairing kerosene heating and cook stoves for apartments owned by the college; office work of various kinds; stock boy for a large grocery store; driving a fork lift on the loading dock for a freight company; carpenter’s helper on construction jobs; cleaning the ice cream machines at the end of day for a wholesale dairy company; re-possessing unpaid-for items and collecting delinquent debts; selling shoes for the shoe store; labor accounting for Convair Aircraft in Fort Worth, Texas; and others. No job was too menial or too difficult in providing a living for the family and in paying school expenses.
During his junior high and high school days, he raised turkeys for his clothing and spending money. Also, he had several head of cattle and horses, including a saddle horse. When in his teen-years, he purchased and paid for 71 acres of land in his own name. After entering college, he sold his land, cattle, horses, and even his saddle to pay college expenses.
His college/university education extended over a period of a quite a number of years and he received degrees from three institutions in three states. He received the BS degree in Business Administration and Economics from Arkansas A & M College (now, University of Arkansas at Monticello), Monticello, AR; the Master of Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX; and both the Specialist Education degree (an advanced master’s degree) and the Doctor of Education degree from George Peabody College for Teachers (now a college of Vanderbilt University), Nashville, TN. In additions, he did post-graduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In addition to teaching school in Arkansas for two years, his work in education included serving as Dean and Registrar of Brewton-Parker Junior College in Georgia; serving in combined faculty and administrative positions at Mary Hardin-Baylor College, Belton, TX, at East Texas State University, Commerce, Texas, and at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota; work on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and at UNESCO Headquarters at Paris, France; and as Visiting Professor at California State University, Northridge, California. His last 18 years before retirement in 1986 were spent with the Texas Education Agency, Austin, TX, working with teacher education accreditation and public-school accreditation.
After moving to Austin, TX, he and Marg bred and exhibited show dogs for 45 years.
Dr. Tom, as he was affectionately known by family and friends, was pre-deceased by sons, Don and Chris; by one grandson; and by all three of his sisters.
He is survived by his wife, Marg; by son, Thad; by daughters Mary and Meribeth; and by several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Private services were held Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at Columbus Cemetery, under the direction of Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Home.
March 1, 1927 - July 9, 2019
Dr. Thomas Thad Walker, 92, Bastrop, TX passed away July 10, 2019 in Austin, TX.
He was born March 1, 1927 in Columbus, AR to Lawrence and Beatrice Bishop Walker. Dr. Walker was retired Professor at the Texas Education Agency.
He enrolled in Ouchita Baptist College, Arkadelphia, AR in the fall of 1945. During his Freshman Year, ne met a fellow student, Edna Dove from Rogers, AR. Although, she was born in Texas and grew up in Missouri and Northwest Arkansas, her father was born in Columbus and was of two Columbus families-the Readers or the Dovers.
Thomas Thad Walker and Edna Dove were married in May 1946. Over the next six years they had three children: Thad; Mary; and Don.
They were divorced in 1961 and he remained single until August 1967 when he married Margaret Gunstenson Hurtt.
In addition to his church work, his work life included many various jobs while making a living for his family and paying for his education. Some of these jobs were exterior painting for college; cleaning and repairing kerosene heating and cook stoves for apartments owned by the college; office work of various kinds; stock boy for a large grocery store; driving a fork lift on the loading dock for a freight company; carpenter’s helper on construction jobs; cleaning the ice cream machines at the end of day for a wholesale dairy company; re-possessing unpaid-for items and collecting delinquent debts; selling shoes for the shoe store; labor accounting for Convair Aircraft in Fort Worth, Texas; and others. No job was too menial or too difficult in providing a living for the family and in paying school expenses.
During his junior high and high school days, he raised turkeys for his clothing and spending money. Also, he had several head of cattle and horses, including a saddle horse. When in his teen-years, he purchased and paid for 71 acres of land in his own name. After entering college, he sold his land, cattle, horses, and even his saddle to pay college expenses.
His college/university education extended over a period of a quite a number of years and he received degrees from three institutions in three states. He received the BS degree in Business Administration and Economics from Arkansas A & M College (now, University of Arkansas at Monticello), Monticello, AR; the Master of Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX; and both the Specialist Education degree (an advanced master’s degree) and the Doctor of Education degree from George Peabody College for Teachers (now a college of Vanderbilt University), Nashville, TN. In additions, he did post-graduate studies at the University of California, Los Angeles.
In addition to teaching school in Arkansas for two years, his work in education included serving as Dean and Registrar of Brewton-Parker Junior College in Georgia; serving in combined faculty and administrative positions at Mary Hardin-Baylor College, Belton, TX, at East Texas State University, Commerce, Texas, and at the University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota; work on the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization) in Kandahar, Afghanistan, and at UNESCO Headquarters at Paris, France; and as Visiting Professor at California State University, Northridge, California. His last 18 years before retirement in 1986 were spent with the Texas Education Agency, Austin, TX, working with teacher education accreditation and public-school accreditation.
After moving to Austin, TX, he and Marg bred and exhibited show dogs for 45 years.
Dr. Tom, as he was affectionately known by family and friends, was pre-deceased by sons, Don and Chris; by one grandson; and by all three of his sisters.
He is survived by his wife, Marg; by son, Thad; by daughters Mary and Meribeth; and by several grandchildren and great grandchildren.
Private services were held Tuesday, July 16, 2019 at Columbus Cemetery, under the direction of Herndon-Fuqua Funeral Home.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
