Jacob Shuff Walker, a son of Edward
and Mahala (Tussey) Walker, was born 31 December
1826 probably at his
parents' home on Mulberry Creek. He was named for
his maternal grandparents, Jacob Tussey and Jane Shuff.
On 15 November 1846 in Claiborne County, probably in
the Mulberry
area, he married Martha Davis, called Patsy.
Martha was born 7 November 1825 at her father's farm
at Mulberry Gap. The home is thought to have been located
at the intersection of what are now called Back Valley
Road and Buell Road in the northwest quandrant of the
intersection. No trace of the home remains.
Probable site of Eli Davis'
home. Photo taken 8/2/2005 by Phillip A. Walker.
Martha was the daughter of Eli and Martha (Baker) Davis.
Eli Davis was a teacher and his wife an herb doctor.
Martha (Baker) Davis was the daughter of Rev. Andrew
and Elizabeth (Avant/Avent) Baker, with Andrew being
a frontier Baptist preacher of some renown in southwest
Virginia.
For some time after they married, they appear to have
lived with or near his
parents at Mulberry Creek, later moving to up the
road to her parents' home. Her father died in 1861,
and perhaps they helped with his care. Jacob, although
he was raised as a Methodist and attended the Thomas
Chapel Methodist Church, left the church in 1858 for
the Mulberry Gap Baptist Church, joining the denomination
of his in-laws although not their original church; Martha
joined the church after him.
Location of Jake and Patsy's home on Straight Creek.
Taken July 1993 by Phillip A. Walker.
Probably about the time that Eli Davis died in 1861,
the couple moved to Straight Creek, purchasing a farm
about a mile from his brother Isaac, and they lived
there for the remainder of their days. Practically nothing
is known of their lives; Vannah (Carr) Greever, a granddaughter,
recalled that her mother said that Jake looked like
Abraham Lincoln, but no one seems to know any stories
about the lives of this couple.
Cemetery where the couple
is buried. Straight Creek is pictured, and the
homesite was just inside the treeline on the right
side of this photo at the creek; the church is
barely visible. Photo taken July 1993 by Phillip
A. Walker.
Apparently, Jake had a good-sized farm, and, with two
sons becoming doctors and a daughter who married one,
probably had a reasonable income and good standing in
the community. Jake was technically young enough to
have been drafted during the Civil War but was older
than the usual soldier and did not appear to serve,
possibly because of his skills as a blacksmith. His
sympathies are unknown.
Now remodeled house where
Patsy Walker died.
Jacob was one of the two men who gave the land for
the Straight Creek Missionary Baptist Church, which
is located not far from where his house once stood and
from where the couple is buried. The Walkers were active
in the new church throughout their lives.
Quilt top made by Martha
(Davis) Walker from dresses that had belonged
ot her daughers. Also pictured, Vannah (Carr)
Greever, granddaughter and owner of the items.
Photo taken July 1993 by Phillip A. Walker.
Jake died of presently unknown causes 4 October 1887
probably at his farm at Straight
Creek in Claiborne County. He was buried in the
family cemetery up the hill from where his house stood.
There are about 10-14 graves in the cemetery, but all
are marked with fieldstones without inscriptions, and
the exact location of his grave is unknown.
Lace made by Martha (Davis)
Walker owned by Vannah (Carr) Greever. Photo taken
July 1993 by Phillip A. Walker.
Martha apparently stayed at the home place for some
unknown period of time, but, having gone blind several
years before her death, she moved in with her daughter
Lizzie (Walker) Click on Bear Creek, where she died
sometime in June 1900. She was buried in the same cemetery
as Jacob.
Most of the couple's personal effects are thought to
have remained with Lizzie, who lost nearly everything
she owned in a house fire in the 1920s in Andersonville,
Tennessee. Vannah (Carr) Greever, daughter of the couple's
daughter Alice, did own a quilt top made from dresses
that belonged to some of the daughters along with some
lace that Martha (Davis) Walker had made.
