Rachel Browning (Purdum) Walker (1835 - 1910)

Born 16 Jul 1835 in Browningsville, Montgomery, Maryland, United States

Ancestors

Wife of George Washington Wesley Walker — married 16 Jun 1858 in Purdum home, Browningsville, Montgomery Co, MD

Descendants

Died 4 Jul 1910 at age 74 in Montgomery, Maryland, United States

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Biography

Rachel Browning Purdum was born July 19, 1835 and died July 4, 1910. ^[1]

Her parents were John L. Purdum and Jemima King, who were married in 1824 and had six sons and eight daughters. Jemima died February 7, 1892 at the age of 87 years at the home of her daughter. ^[1]

Courtship and Marriage (1858)

Adjoining the farm of George Bryan and Peggy Walker was the farm of John Lewis and Jemima King Purdum, with eight daughters and six sons, who were frequent playmates of the Walker children. Among them was a pretty little girl with black hair and black eyes named Rachel Browning Purdum. Years later it would be remembered that in the summer of 1840, when Wesley was not quite three years old, while watching carpenters building an addition to the house, he said, "See here mans, Rachie 'n' me's going to live here." ^[2]

Born July 16, 1835, and two years older than Wesley, Rachel attended school in the same log school house.

Wesley and Rachel were finally married June 16, 1858 by the Rev. Alfred Baker , at the Purdum house in the presence of immediate family and a few friends and Wesley brought `Rachie' home to live. ^[2] Their honeymoon took them to Washington, D.C., "where a few days were spent in seeing the many places of interest."

Wife and Mother (1864-1880)

Wesley and Rachel's first child, Mary Alice, was born in September, 1859, a little over a year after their wedding. Less than a year after that, George's father died, on August 18, 1860. But the children continued to arrive. A half year later, in March 1861, John Lewis was born. In 1864, when Miriam Augusta Webster was born and died in infancy, there were a five and three year old at home on the Walker farm. Two years later Margaret Jemima Roberta arrived, followed by William Alfred Baker in a little less than another two years. Christmas 1867 saw a family of Wesley (30), Rachel (31), Mary Alice (8), John Lewis (6), Roberta (almost 2), and William (2 months).

Rachel..."was the backbone of our home life. It was she who saved the butter and egg money and educated most of her children. Mother was very saving. [She] could spin and weave. [She] made her own tallow candles and loved to cook in the fireplace. Her corn pones that were baked in an old-time Dutch oven were grand. Also her pot roasts cooked in the fireplace were splendid... She had a wonderful recipe for curing hams. [She] also made her own chip beef. In her days very little was bought at the store. Economy, kindliness and love were her characteristics." ^[3]

Since "father's work called him from home much of his time, and that gave mother more responsibilities. She kept the home fires burning and did much to help her children take their places in the world." "To his wife's standing by qualities he owed much of his success." ^[2]

"She was one of the early members of the Methodist Protestant Church [Providence Church, in Kemptown], joining it in girlhood and remaining a member all her life [notwithstanding her husband's very active membership in Bethesda M. E. Church]. She contributed to that church and also to the Methodist Episcopal church to which her family belonged. She was a liberal giver to foreign missions. Other philanthropies receiving her contributions were the Good Templars, the W.C.T.U. Women's Temple of Chicago, and Famine Funds for China and India." ^[3] "She did not confine herself to one denomination or creed, but helped wherever and whenever occasion demanded. ^[4]

Like Wesley, she enjoyed music all her life. She attended singing schools when young and sung alto. As a mother, she allowed her children time to practice on musical instruments.

"Mother did most of the doctoring of our minor illnesses. She was raised in days when doctors were scarce and her mother had taught her how to gather and prepare the herbs and roots for different ailments. We all loved our mother and she had a wonderful knack of comforting us in time of trouble." ^[3]

"Mother was very intuitive. She always seemed to know what was going to happen ahead of time and it was very difficult to keep a secret from her. She could read your thoughts." ^[3]

Rachel was often at home caring for her family while Wesley travelled, but as her family grew older she too was able to express her fondness for going places. She attended the U. S. Centennial in 1876 in Philadelphia. Later in life she visited in Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota, Ocean Grove, New Jersey, Floral Park, New York. When she was less engaged with family cares Rachel turned to growing flowers. [She] took pride in a half barrel filled with colla lilies and a variety of chrysanthemums blooming in the green house in winter time. [She] was fond of reading and enjoyed someone reading to her while she knit or sewed. ^[5]

Rachel's last years

Four months after the Golden Wedding Celebration, Rachel was stricken with a cerebral hemorrhage on October 29, 1908. She partially recovered and was able to go about but could not sew or knit. One hand was no longer normal. Though detained at home she remained interested in life around her and still wanted to hear an account of lodge meeting, church service, or entertainment. In failing health for these two years, her "condition did not take a serious turn until two months ago. Her second youngest daughter Parepa, a graduate nurse..efficiently ministered to her in her final illness." She died July 4, 1910, aged 75 years minus 12 days. "How serene Sister Walker looked in her beautiful casket, sweet contentment in her expression, and beautiful flowers strewn about her--flowers such as she had always loved to care for, as she was a true lover of flowrs. Her remains were tenderly borne to the cemetery by six nephews, the oldest sons of the six sisters residing in Maryland, viz. Messrs. Bradley Brandenburg, John Baker, John Penn, Fletcher Boyer, James Mullinix, and Lincoln Burdette. ^[4] Rev. Caleb Joshua Burdette, a first cousin of hers, conducted the funeral service from the 23rd Psalm in Bethesda M. E. Church Her will, dated July 10, 1910, was proved October 4, 1910 ^[6]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} Robert Neal Hurley. Our Maryland Heritage, Book Two: The Walker Families. Bowie, Maryland: Heritage Books, Inc. 1997, p. 53
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Parepa W. Day, Mt. Airy Community Reporter (Mount Airy, Maryland), June 22, 1934
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3} George Muller M. Walker, Description written in 1942.
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} "Beautiful Life of Mrs. Rachel Browning Walker", Ellicott City Times, July 16, 1910.
5. ↑ Recollection of daughter Fidelia Seward Walker
6. ↑ Montgomery County Wills HCA 8:3346; Hurley, Walker, 54