Stanley was described on his service records as 5'9", brown hair andblue eyes, and excellent character. In later years, he lost nearlyall of the brown hair, retaining only a slight fringe around the backand sides of his shiny pate.
8/6/1917 He enlisted as Pvt in the US Army at Jefferson Bks, Mo. Hesaw action in France during WWI and was discharged on 9/23/1919.
4/24/1930 Hamilton St, Sullivan, Moultrie Co, IL. WWI veteranStanley Walker, 32, was divorced and living in a boarding house there.He was a self-employed truck driver, driving an oil spreader.
1938 At the time he and Ella married, his occupation was steam jennyoperator, providing steam power for railroad construction crews.
4/20/1940 Sullivan Moultrie Co, IL. At census time that year StanleyWalker and wife Ella were borth 45 years old and lived in the sameresidence as in 1935. He had completed 8 years of school, she had 4years of high school as well. Living with them were Ella's brotherJoseph G Powell, 37, and boarder Opal White, 23. Stanley worked as alaborer for the Earl Walker Co, Ella was an instructor at the Shoefactory, Joseph was an insurance agent, Opal a fancy stitcher at theshoe factory.
Decatur, Macon Co, IL, where he and Ella owned several rental housesduring their semi-retirement years.
Sullivan, Moultrie Co, IL.
Mattoon, IL. Completing a full circle, they moved back home to benearer the family in their old age.
Niece, Dorisgene Van Gundy Webb, expressed the following sentiment:
"Aunt Ella and Uncle Stanley were special. We spent many a week-endplaying canasta. Aunt Ella was always wanting to help....eitherre-covering a chair or sitting with the kids!"
"On a personal note, I never knew Aunt Ella and Uncle Stanley untilthey had retired, but did form a close association with both of them,perhaps a little closer with Stanley. My impression of him was acongenial old gentleman. He was a man of few words but had a kindheart and a sense of humor. In his old age he wore his hat cocked atthe same angle as when he was a frisky young man, according to photosof him in both stages of life.
When we moved to Decatur, he was retired, except for the rentalhouses, and proved to be extremely helpful in getting our house inorder, getting the utilities turned on without a deposit, etc. Anytime he and Ella went shopping, they would call to see if I needed
anything or wanted to go with them. I often went because they weresuch fun to be with, never in a hurry, never impatient. Often Stanleyappeared on our door step with instructions from Ella to retrieve usfor supper or Sunday dinner at their house.
One event always comes to our minds (Dale's and mine) whenever thisparticular "favorite" uncle's name is mentioned:
While we lived in the country, Uncle Stanley, being a resident of thehigh rise, needed a spot to plant comfrey, which he made into tea,claiming it as a cure-all for everything that ailed the human body. Weoffered him a flower bed size area in our back yard and he would
come out every few days to tend his garden. One day when he finishedit was nearly supper time and I invited him to stay, he acceptedreadily.
As usually happens in the middle of summer when gardens flourish, theproduce is shared among the family as well as the fishermen'sexcesses. Literally everything on the menu that evening had beengiven to us. During the meal we mentioned the ones who had provided
each dish and how much we appreciated their passing their bountifulharvest on to us, allowing this "free meal." When Stanley left, hethanked us for supper with Dale's response being, "Come out anytimeyou want another free meal!" A few days later, we received an
envelope containing $5 in the mail with a note from Uncle Stanley thathe always paid his own way and did not need freebies from anyone.
Needless to say, we returned his money immediately and discovered hehad asked Grandma Van Gundy for advice on how to handle the situationof being invited to dinner, then told to come back whenever he wanteda free meal, with her response being exactly as Stanley had done. Hadshe known who had made the remark, she would have told Stanley to
ignore it and enjoy as many free meals as he could get. From thattime on we weighed our words better before speaking to the oldergeneration."
Great niece Jane Van Gundy,wife of Dale.
He had been a resident of the Masonic Home in Sullivan for some time
prior to his death.
In his will he left his entire estate to his wife but in the event she
predeceased him, then it was to be divided equally among his 2
children and Ella's siblings.
