REUNION ANNOUNCEMENT AND REQUEST FOR INFORMATION BACKGROUND: Memucan Walker and Rachel Lewis were married in Greenbrier Co. (W)VA in 1808. She was a member of the well know Lewis family. Memucan was born in Lunenburg Co. Va. from where he entered the Revolutionary War as a volunteer at the age of 16. He partcipated in many battles and was present at the surrender at Yorktown. He later lived in SC where he may have married for the first time. He later lived and was married in Md. Memucan Walker was among the first, if not the first, school teachers in Greenbrier Co. His son Joel and wife Mary Lucinda Fuel and many of their family members moved about 1871 to the Strange Creek, Keeners Ridge, Dille area of WV that is located where the counties of Braxton, Nicholas and Clay join. Through marriage the Walkers are connected with many Central WV families including Mollohan, Boggs, Matheny, Mullins, Doddrill, Duffield, Brock, Ballengee, Wilson, Fox, Carte, Bragg, Brown, Browning, White, and many others. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX WALKER REUNION 2001 WHEN: SUNDAY, AUGUST 12, 2001 11.00 AM TO ?????? WHERE: SHELTER # 1 AT THE TOP OF SUMMERSVILLE DAM WHAT: COME WITH A PICNIC LUNCH TO SHARE, AND A DESIRE TO ENJOY AN OLD FASHIONED WALKER FAMILY REUNION. ALSO BRING ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE WALKER FAMILY, PICTURES, YOUR OWN FAMILY GROUP SHEETS, HANDED DOWN STORIES AND ANY THING ELSE YOU CAN SHARE WITH ALL THE COUSINS. WHY: ENJOY THE BEAUTIFUL SCENERY, SHARE MEMORIES, AND MAKE NEW ONES WITH RELATIVES AND FRIENDS. PLEASE CALL JOYCE WALKER GARDINER AT 304- 768-2970 WITH REUNION QUESTIONS. E-MAIL LINDA STEORTS KAUFMAN AT kaufman@wvhomes.com WITH GENEALOGY TYPE QUESTIONS, AND ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS FOR THE DESCENDANTS OF MEMUCAN WALKER FAMILY TREE CHART. REGULAR MAIL AND TELEPHONE CALLS ARE ALSO WELCOME. I AM ENCLOSING A FAMILY CHART. YOU MAY SEND ME CORRECTIONS AND/OR ADDITIONS RIGHT ON THE CHART. JUST "ENTER" DOWN BELOW A NAME WHERE YOU WANT TO ADD INFORMATION. IF YOU DO IT, PLEASE LEAVE PLENTY OF ROOM AROUND YOUR CHANGES SO IT IS EASY TO FIND. AND YOU CAN WRITE ANY STORIES AT THE SAME PLACE. (STORIES CAN BE AS SHORT OR AS LONG AS YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE. LITTLE THINGS CAN BE VERY IMPORTANT.) GIVE YOUR NAME SO WE WILL KNOW WHERE THE INFORMATION COMES FROM AND SO WE CAN GET BACK TO YOU IF THERE ARE QUESTIONS IF YOU PREFER THERE IS A "FAMILY GROUP QUESTIONARE" FORMAT AT THE END OF ALL THIS THAT CAN ALSO BE USED TO RECORD INFORMATION. I WILL TRY TO CONSOLIDATE ALL THE NEW INFORMATION IN TIME TO HAVE TO GIVE OUT AT THE REUNION. IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TO THE REUNION AND STILL WANT THE NEW INFORMATION, PLEASE SEND ME A SELF ADDRESSED ENVELOPE WITH 2 STAMPS AND I WILL MAIL IT. SORRY ABOUT THE ENVELOPE BUT THAT WILL MAKE IT EASIER FOR ME, NOT TO MENTION THE POSTAGE. THE DNA TEST THAT I PAID FOR WAS $185.00 SO I'M FEELING "WALKER POOR" RIGHT NOW. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX July 28, 2001 Dear Cousins, I asked Joyce Walker Gardiner if she would allow me to send out the Walker Reunion announcements this year so that I could give you some information about research taking place to try to establish documented evidence of the ancestors of Memucan Walker, 1764 - 1836 and thus our own roots. Of special interest is an ongoing DNA testing program that shows that we share a common forefather with several other Walker lines. The prospect of finding more information through sharing research with these distant cousins is very exciting. The DNA testing program is through a direct male descendant. Jimmie Orville Walker consented to be our test subject when I asked him. He is the son of William Orville Walker, grandson of Anson Joel Walker, ggs of William Washington Walker, gg gs of Joel Walker (1809-?1889) and the great, great, great grandson of Memucan Walker. Although it has not yet been documented, strong circumstantial evidence has led to the conclusion that Memucan's great grandfather William was the emigrant, coming to Virginia in the mid 1600s. I do not pretend to be a serious genealogist and my work should be viewed as a starting place for someone with more time and dedication than I. But I do feel it to be very important to collect and preserve what we as a group are able to at this time for the use of future generations. Only think of the great resources we have recently lost with the passing of some of our loved ones. So I am asking each of you to contribute what you can to our body of knowledge. Enclosed is a chart from Family Tree Maker. I know there are mistakes and it is much more limited that it could be. Please either bring to the reunion or send me any corrections and especially any additions you can make. I will in turn try to combine and share with everyone. Perhaps even more important than the who, when, where of dry facts are the stories, mostly unwritten, passed down through the family. For instance, did you know that when Joel and his family came from Greenbrier Co. they moved in four wagons and stopped each night along the way. My mother told me of one night's stop on Muddledy where they received permission to use some old slave cabins on a certain farm. Grandmother made them scrub out the cabins before she would allow the bedding to be put down. The farmer charged $4.00, such a high fee that Grandfather, being sarcastic, reached in and turned his pockets out, remarking that there still might be a coin or two left. Has anyone else heard this story? Mom even told the farmer's name but it is gone unless I find it written down somewhere. I have that Grandmother's name was Mary Lucinda. Mom said she could remember the older ones talking of Grandmother Mary. Does anyone know if this is what she was called? And how about William ! Washington Walker? Was he a Will or Bill or what. Please take some time and write down any stories that you know that will help us know the personalities and life styles of our family. It doesn't have to be fancy, just write it on anything. The important thing is that you may be able to contribute something no one else either can or will. I hope to see most of you Sunday August 12. But if you can't be there, please either mail or e-mail anything you are willing to share. I will try to have more information available for everyone there. Linda Linda Steorts Kaufman P. O. Box 380 Bridgeport, WV 26330 Kaufman @ wvhomes.com Office 304-842-2468 Home 304-842-5747 Fax ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ FAMILY INFORMATION FORM PLEASE ADD LOCATIONS, DATES, ETC. IF YOU CAN. BUT ONE ITEM IS BETTER THAN NONE. AND PLEASE ATTACH ANY STORIES HANDED DOWN IN THE FAMILY. MAKE AS MANY COPIES OF THE FORM AS YOU NEED. HUSBAND Name Birth date and place Death date and place Husband's father Husband's mother (include maiden name) WIFE Full name Birth date and place Death date and place Wife's father Wife's mother (include maiden name) CHILDREN (Repeat for each child) Full name Date and place of birth Date and place of death Wife/Husband full name Date and place of marriage (Fill out a separate family sheet if needed for grown children) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- SUBMITTED BY Name Street Address City Zip e-mail Phone ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ