The Proeger Family · Generation 5 — Kristin's 2nd-great-grandparents

William Bernard "Willie B." Walker

Kristin's 2nd great-grandfather · 1857–1914

William Bernard “Willie B.” Walker

CaliforniaProbable

Kristin's 2nd great-grandfather · 1857–1914

Born
11 April 1857, Columbia, California
Died
27 June 1914, Lolita, Jackson County, Texas
Parents
Daniel Green Walker & Mary Jane Bross
Children
Daniel Jonah Walker & Nettie Ellen "Annie" Cleveland, Naomi Walker Rogers, Ruth Walker Moody, Willie Walker Petrich
Sources
4

Research status

Research status: PROBABLE-strong as the father of Daniel Jonah Walker Probable confirm or correct →. Evidence: in 1910 Daniel, entered as “John”, 20, lived in the Palacios household headed by Willie B. Walker S406; in 1900, aged 42 and born California, he headed a household in Precinct 2, Jackson County, with his wife Nancy J., a son Jackson J., 10, born March 1890, and his mother Mary J. Daniels, 69 S808; and his widow's obituary names him as her husband and “D. J. Walker” as her son S1305. What is weak: no record names him as Daniel Jonah's father, and the 1900 son's given name does not match. His marriage to Nancy Jane Higginbotham is Confirmed (her card gives the records).

Evidence: In 1910 Daniel, entered as "John", 20, lived in the Palacios household headed by Willie B. Walker (S406); in 1900 Willie B. headed a Jackson County household with his wife Nancy J., a son Jackson J., 10, and his mother Mary J. Daniels (S808); his widow's obituary names him as her husband and "D. J. Walker" as her son (S1305). Weak or missing: No record names him as Daniel Jonah's father, and the 1900 son's given name does not match. His marriage to Nancy Jane Higginbotham is Confirmed. Not yet confirmed. Know more? Confirm or correct this →

Life in the order the records give it

William Bernard Walker, known as Willie B., was born on 11 April 1857 at Columbia, California, by his death certificate S787. Other records disagree: the 1860 Claiborne Parish census has a W. B., 6, born in Mississippi, in his mother’s household, and the 1880 Angelina County census a William Walker, 21, born in Louisiana. The certificate’s date and place are kept. His parents were probably Daniel Green Walker and Mary Jane Bross; the certificate, informed by his widow, names them as Daniel Walker and Mary J. Brass or Bross S787. In 1900, aged 42, he headed a household in Precinct 2, Jackson County, Texas, with his wife Nancy J., a son Jackson J., 10, born in March 1890, and his widowed mother, Mary J. Daniels, 69 S808. In 1910 Daniel Jonah Walker, entered as “John”, 20, lived in his household at Palacios S406. No record names Willie B. as Daniel Jonah’s father, and the 1900 son’s given name does not match, so the link is Probable, though strong. His widow’s obituary of 1953 names W. B. as her husband and their children as R. T. (Rob), D. J., Naomi Walker Rogers, Ruth Walker Moody and Willie Walker Petrich S1305. He died of pellagra at Lolita, Jackson County, on 27 June 1914, and was buried in Lolita Cemetery S787.

Birth1857
Born 11 April 1857, Columbia, California, by his death certificate S787. The 1860 Claiborne Parish census has a W. B., 6, born Mississippi, in his mother's household, and the 1880 Angelina County census a William Walker, 21, born Louisiana; the certificate's date and place are kept, and the conflict is stated on his parents' card.
Death1914
Died 27 June 1914, Lolita, Jackson County, Texas, of pellagra, and was buried in Lolita Cemetery. His death certificate, informed by his widow, names his parents as Daniel Walker and Mary J. Brass (or Bross) S787; the Texas death index has “Walker, Willie Bernard”, Jackson County, 27 June 1914, certificate 12730 S787.

Family parents, marriages, children, siblings

Parents1900
His parents: probably Daniel Green Walker and Mary Jane Bross Probable confirm or correct →; the evidence and what is weak are on their cards. In 1900 his widowed mother, then Mary J. Daniels, lived in his household S808.
Children1953
His children by Nancy Jane, named in her 1953 obituary: R. T. (Rob) Walker, D. J. (Daniel Jonah) Walker, Naomi Walker Rogers, Ruth Walker Moody and Willie Walker Petrich S1305. See the Walker line.
Marriage2026
History of this card. 24 Oct 2026
card added so that the parent links run from Daniel Jonah Walker up to his grandparents; every fact here was already on the cards of his son, his wife and his parents and on the Walker line page, with the same sources and grades (GRAPH-GAPS-20261024 follow-up).

Documents and record images for the Walker family →

William Bernard "Willie B." Walker · Sources

Citations

Sources cited on this card

4 of the record's sources are cited here. The numbering is the record's own; the full list, with where else each is cited, is at Sources.

  1. S4061910 U.S. Federal Census — Willie B. Walker household, Perryman Avenue, Palacios, Matagorda Co., Texas (ED 145, sheet 1B, lines 71–77). Ancestry record 123055432. Image examined, read 24 September 2026. Confirmed Willie B. Walker, 53, born California, owning his house; wife Nancy J., 45, born Alabama, mother of 5 children, 5 living; sons Robert T., 22, delivery-wagon driver, and “John”, 20, farm laborer, born Texas; Ruth E., 12; Willie E. Jr., 7; and Mary J. Daniels, 79, “mother”; enumerated 13 May 1910. “John” is taken to be Daniel Jonah: the only son of his age, with his parents and brother Robert T. (the R. T. Walker of his 1942 draft card). The name as written is John. Mary J. Daniels is probably Willie's mother Mary Jane Bross under a later married name; not proved.
  2. S787Texas death certificate 12730: Willie Bernard Walker, died Lolita, Jackson County, 27 June 1914. Ancestry record 21516133. Image examined in the Stage 2 reading, 26 September 2026. Confirmed Willie Bernard Walker, farmer, born 11 April 1857 at Columbia, California (his age, 57 years 2 months 16 days, agrees), died 27 June 1914 of pellagra, asthma contributing; buried in Lolita Cemetery on 28 June. Parents given as Daniel Walker and Mary J. Brass (or Bross), born Alabama. Informant: Mrs. W. B. Walker. The Texas death index agrees: “Walker, Willie Bernard”, Jackson County, 27 June 1914, certificate 12730 (Ancestry record 6333149, read 27 September 2026); it has no birthplace column. Corrects the tree's 10 April 1858. It is the first record to name his parents; that he is Daniel Jonah Walker's father is still probable (S406). Collection: Texas, U.S., Death Certificates.
  3. S8081900 U.S. census — Justice Precinct 2, Jackson County, Texas, sheet 16, dwelling 296: Willie B. Walker household. Ancestry record 43657783. Image examined, read 27 September 2026 (ED 59, sheets 16A–16B, lines 47–53). Probable Willie B. Walker, head, born April 1858, 42, born California, both parents born Alabama; a farmer owning a mortgaged farm; Nancy J., wife, 35, born Alabama; Neomi, 13; Robert, 12; Jackson J., 10, born March 1890; Ruth E., 2; and, on line 53, Mary J. Daniels, “Mother”, born June 1830, 69, widowed, mother of three children, born Alabama, her parents born South Carolina. Mary J. Daniels is taken as Mary Jane (Bross) Walker, remarried after Daniel Green Walker died: the 1880 “Mary Dannels” of Angelina County, with her son Edgar (S809). Her Alabama birth matches the birthplace given for Willie's mother, not Nancy J.'s (whose mother was born in South Carolina). Jackson J.'s birth month and year, from the index, are Daniel Jonah Walker's (10 March 1890), but the given name does not match. Collection: 1900 United States Federal Census.
  4. S1305Obituary — Nancy Jane “Granny” Walker, Edna Herald, 8 January 1953. USGenWeb Jackson County, Texas obituaries (usgenwebsites.org/TXJackson/obits_w02.htm). Born 19 October 1864, Alabama; came to Texas at 19, settled at Waco, “where she later married William Bernard Walker. He died in June, 1914.” Charter member, Lolita Baptist Church. Died 3 January 1953 at home; buried Lolita Cemetery. Survived by sons R. T. and D. J. Walker (Lolita); daughters Mrs. M. E. Rogers (Palacios), Mrs. Ruth Moody (Lolita), Mrs. Willie Petrich (Lake Jackson); 13 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great-grandchild. Full text saved in the Documents grid.

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Compiled for the Proeger family

Living adults appear by name and relationship, with the year only: no full date of birth and no home town on any page that search engines index, and a living person’s own page is kept out of search engines. Minors appear by name only — no date of birth, no birth year, no age, no school, no place, no address, no other identifying detail. A minor may be named and may appear in a family photograph; nothing further about them is published. Where it is not established whether someone is an adult or a minor, the minor rule applies.

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