Donna L. (Murphy) Walker, 95
Funeral services for Donna L. (Murphy) Walker, 95, of Ava, will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday, July 15, 2023, in the Clinkingbeard Funeral Home in Gainesville with burial following in the Lilly Ridge Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 1 p.m. until servicetime in the funeral home in Gainesville. Officiating will be Pastor Dale Roberts. Donna will be lying in state on Wednesday, July 12, and Thursday, July 13, in the Clinkingbeard Funeral Home in Ava.
Donna died at Heart of the Ozarks in Ava on July 7. She was born on Sept. 13, 1927, in Almartha, to Lyle and Faye (Gardner) Murphy.
She attended a one-room school at Souder for her elementary education. She was a graduate of the 1944 class from Gainesville High School. She furthered her education by attending college at Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) and finished her education at Drury University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration. She went back to Drury University in the early 1970s to get a lifetime certification in elementary education. She taught sixth grade at Ava Elementary for four and a half years.
Donna and her high school sweetheart, Russell Walker, were married on Aug. 11, 1945, at the courthouse in Mountain Home, Arkansas. They had one son, Gerald.
Donna always worked wherever she and Russell lived. She taught in one-room schools at Souder and Almartha in the early years of their marriage. During the summer, she took college courses and worked as a waitress. In the mid 1950s, Russ, Donna and Gerald moved to Wichita so Russ could work at Boeing. Donna took a job as a cashier/bookkeeper at The Yard in Wichita.
They both missed living in the Ozarks, so they purchased a farm near Almartha and moved back to live the country lifestyle, which was their hearts’ desire. Donna got a job as the bookeeper at Guffey Chevrolet in Gainesville, and Russ took a teaching job at Gainesville High School.
Donna went back to school to get her teaching certification after they sold the farm and moved to Ava. In November 1973, Russell and Donna bought the Boone & Luna Abstract Company in Gainesville. Donna resigned from her teaching position and began teaching herself how to run an abstract office. She taught this trade to Russell and Gerald. They later bought Ozark County Abstract Company and combined the two offices. This line of work was also taught to their granddaughters Heather and Faunlee. Donna sold the business in 2007 and retired at the young age of 80.
At that time, Donna always had a project going. Her first project was writing the book, “The Way it Was,” a book that allowed her to she write and edit stories by those she loved. Later, she wrote the book, “Souder Memories,” about the place and people who were dear to her.
She found that her friend Joan Nash liked to go on antiquing trips with her, and they went on many. Other day trips were spent going to Branson to catch a show with her friend Phyllis Swofford. In the fall and wintertime, Donna had many sewing projects to keep her busy as she made Christmas gifts for her family.
She and Russell enjoyed traveling across the United States and Canada. Those travels continued for Donna after Russell died in 2003. Her first trip was to Alaska with her daughter-in-law Sandy. She and Russell had planned to go there one year, but he had bought a new truck instead that year. At Christmas that year, Donna told her family that she was taking them to Hawaii in May for Christmas. The only state Donna had not visited at that time was Washington. A few years later, her nephew Mike Walker and his wife Cheryl took her with them to Oregon, and they drove up to Washington state, allowing Donna to confidently say that she had been to all 50 states. Donna went on many other trips to various countries with her brother Max and his wife Wanda and good friends Corrine and Jerry Ellison. She and Corrine, and sometimes other friends, would take road trips to various places in the states. After each of these trips, she would sit at her computer for hours making a memory book with pictures and stories of the recent trip. The only continents that Donna did not visit during her lifetime were Africa and Antarctica.
Donna attended and was a member of the Gainesville Church of Christ. She also visited Souder Church of Christ occasionally because that was home. After moving to Ava, she enjoyed attending a ladies’ Bible class at First Southern Baptist Church.
After her daughter-in-law Sandy retired, she and Donna took on babysitting new grandson Parker. They enjoyed reading, playing games and spending their days with him - and later on with great-grandson Lyle. Donna made plans to take Parker, then Lyle, to their first Branson show, The Amazing Pets Show. When her great-great-granddaughter Charlie was born, Donna was pleased to have a new little girl to make dresses for. Although, she was not able to do that, she still talked about it. Donna also enjoyed attending whatever ballgame was in season for her great-grandsons and her great-great-grandson, just like she had for her granddaughters and son earlier in her life. She could also be found watching a Cardinals or NBA basketball game on TV in the evenings.
Donna is survived by two granddaughters: Heather Walker of Bentonville, Arkansas, and Faunlee Smith and spouse Scott of Ava; three great-grandsons: Alden Smith and spouse Courtney, Morgan Smith and spouse Emily and Parker Smith; two great-great grandchildren, Lyle (Alden and Courtney’s child) and Charlie (Morgan and Emily child); her brother Max Murphy and wife Wanda; her daughter-in-law Sandy Walker, all of Ava; her sister-in-laws Peggy Walker of Nashville and Beth Walker of Kansas City; nieces and nephews and many friends and family members.
Donna was preceded in death by her parents, her son Gerald Walker in 1998, her husband Russ Walker in 2003, her niece Tracy Murphy in 1987 and nephew-in-law Leslie Stillings in 2020.
The family requests donations to the Souder Cemetery or to Lilly Ridge Cemetery in lieu of flowers. Online condolences may be made to www.clinkingbeardfuneralhome.com.