Gilbert D. Walker

© Enid News and Eagle

09-06-2006

Submitted by: Jo Aguirre

© Glenn

The funeral for Gilbert Dixon Walker, 87, of Woodward will be 1 p.m. Thursday at First Christian church. Dr. Kipp Wolfe will officiate. Burial will be in Freedom Cemetery. Arrangements are by Billings Funeral Home, Woodward.

He was born Aug. 15, 1919, on the family farm south of Freedom to Simpson and Ethel May Stout Walker and died Monday, Sept. 4, 2006, at Woodward Regional Hospital.

He attended Freedom schools, graduating from Freedom High School in 1936. He received his bachelor of science degree in agriculture from Oklahoma State University in 1941. He served as president of Farmhouse Fraternity and a member of Alpha Zeta National Honorary Agriculture Fraternity. He was named an outstanding all-around judge in the College of Agriculture.

He married Mary Netta Wells Oct. 2, 1942, in Barnsdall. He was vocational agriculture instructor in Fairview, Freedom and Mooreland from 1942 to 1953. At Freedom, he also was basketball coach and served as acting principal. Following the 1948 school year, he began a full-time farming operation in Woodward County. In 1953, he owned and operated Cattleman’s Cafe in Freedom while continuing his farming operation. In 1957, he taught science and served as a counselor at Woodward Junior High School until 1966. He received his science teaching certificate in 1958 and his master of science degree in 1966 from Northwestern Oklahoma State University. He served as principal at Woodward Junior High School for the 1966-1967 school year and the following two years he was principal of Woodward High School. In 1969 he returned to full-time farming. He has lived in Woodward since 1969.

He was a member of First Christian Church where he served as an elder, chairman of the board in 1975, chairman of the pulpit committee, and was a Sunday school teacher. He served as chairman of the Democratic Party, Sixth Congressional District, from 1976 to 1977, and was past chairman of the Woodward County Democratic Party. He was on Oklahoma Agricultural Leaders Goodwill People to People Delegation to Europe and the Soviet Union in 1974 and was given the FFA Honorary State Farmer Award in 1952. He served on Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Asso-ciation and Woodward County Cattlemen’s Association, Freedom Farmers Coop Association, Oklahoma Crop Improvement Association, and Woodward and Harper County Rural Water Corporation. He was named Woodward County Teacher of the Year for 1963 and was a member of Oklahoma State University Alumni Association from 1941 to 1976. He also served on Northwestern Oklahoma State University President’s Club, Oklahoma Education Association, National Education Association, and Farmhouse Fraternity Alumni Association. He was a member of Rotary Club from 1942 to 1943, Lions Club from 1957 to 1969, past Grand of I.O.O.F., president of Freedom Chamber of Com-merce in 1950, Woodward Chamber of Commerce Agriculture Committee and Plains Indian and Pioneer Historical Foundation.

Surviving are his wife, Mary Netta Walker of the home; one daughter, Lila Kay Walker; one son, Travis Lyle Walker; one brother, Wesley Walker; six grandchildren; and 10 great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by one sister and two brothers.

Memorials may be made through the funeral home to Farmhouse Fraternity or Muscular Dystrophy.

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