Christine Cook Walker

Christine Cook Walker

I, Christine Cook Walker, was born in South Weber Utah 30 January 1866. I was the sixth child of William Simpson and Christine Bowman Cook

As a child I used to love to roam the hills and gather wild flowers back of our home.

I was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at the age of 13 years, on 7 August 1879, at South Weber, Utah, by William Jones, and confirmed 10 August 1879 by William Firth.

My education in public schools was limited because when young I was a delicate child and had so far to go to school. Also from having sore eyes, being blind at one time for three months as a result of the measles.

Although public school education was limited, not so with home education; for I was always surrounded with the best of books and help from Father and Mother, brothers and sisters who did all they could for me. Mother taught me cooking, sewing, mending, darning, knitting, and crocheting; in fact, everything suitable for me to be a farmers wife.

I was married to James Thomas Walker on the 16th of January 1890 in the Logan Temple and have two daughters: Martha Christine born 8 May 1983, and Mary Golda born 29 Sept 1894.

I was a teacher in the Syracuse Sunday School from 1891 until April 1921. I was Assistant Secretary in the Syracuse Relief Society from 18 May 1892 until 18 Jan 1910. I was made 1st Counselor to Sister Alice Barlow in the YLMIA in Syracuse in August 1905 after being a teacher since 13 October 1903. I was Treasurer in primary in 1889. I worked as a teacher in the Religion class in the 13th ward in Ogden in 1924. Was an "Aid" in the North Davis Stake Relief Society from 1920 until 27 February 1921.

We moved to Ogden in 1921 and lived in the 6th Ward. Later we moved into the 13th ward. We lived there until my husband died in August 1925, when I moved out to Syracuse and had a home near the church. I was a Relief Society Visiting Teacher for many years in Ogden and in Syracuse.

My aim is to be a helpmate to my husband and my family to stand first before all other things and to look life in the face with that love and charity that sees some good in all things.

(The following was written by Golda Walker Williams, a daughter of Christine Cook Walker.)

Mother was a wonderful person and was very strong on the principle of right and wrong.

Her health wasn't very good from the time I was born. She had had 'milk leg' after I was born and was sick for 2 years and it left her with a running sore on her leg.

She was industrious, always doing something, either making quilts crocheting, knitting, or other fancy work. She was always giving it to some one to make them happy. She had made quilts for Mattie and I and all the grandchildren and there were quilt tops left when she died, one for each family.

She had a green thumb, and children as well as older people enjoyed her flowers. Her home was a quiet beautiful place where you felt her sweet influence when you entered.

Even after twenty years, the children she had taught in Sunday School Kindergarten class would still come to see her and compliment her on her wonderful teachings. They could still remember her and said her influence had helped them throughout their lives.

Christine & James T. Walker

When she married my father, he had one son, Fred, 12 years old. They were married in January, and father went on a mission in May. She kept his home with Fred. Her brother-in-law, Daniel Walker, having lost his wife (her sister) ate with them, stayed in his home at nights, and worked in their store. Daddy was gone two years, returning in May 1892. In May 1893, Mattie was born. They built onto the house, adding two more rooms.

Mother had two operations on her eyes when she got older, after daddy died. She lived alone, with one of the grandchildren staying with her at nights until about 2 years before she died.

She came to my home in April 1946, and never went back to her home again. She stayed at Mattie's and here until she died in Aug. 1946. Her heart was bad and a lot of the time we kept her under oxygen and she had cancer of the stomach. She bloated up and was tapped, about 1 1/2 qts. of fluid being drained, then in about 10 days she filled up again. She was tapped again on Saturday and drained of about 5 quarts. Instead of it reacting like the first time, she started swelling and she bloated very badly. The gas pains were terrible. We could hardly turn her without her screaming. Death came as a relief on Tuesday morning, Aug. 13. Administrations seemed to be the only thing that brought her any relief toward the end. Mother was a wonderful patient, and had a desire to live even unto the last.