Mildred Ernestine Walker

Ernestine’s prayer to be at home when entering eternal peace was answered on September 28, 2024.

Preceded in death by her dear parents, Willie Grady McGee and Ruth Delene Lawley McGee, and beloved husband, Robert (Bob) H. Walker.

Survived by her daughter, Deborah Freeman (Henry) of Hoover, AL and grandson, Grady Walker Freeman, of Homewood, AL.

Ernestine was born in Lawley, AL on September 13, 1930 and raised on her family’s farm and in faith at Rehobeth Baptist Church. After graduation from Bibb County High School she began working at Sears Roebuck & Co in Birmingham. She and Bob married two years later. She continued her employment as a credit supervisor and helped support her husband through his military service and graduation from college. She then enjoyed a few years as a stay-at-home mom while being active in her neighborhood garden club and with her husband and daughter joined five other families in the new congregation called Hoover Baptist Mission which became Green Valley Baptist Church. In 1965 she and her husband moved their family to Tuscaloosa to open Walker Restaurant & School Supply. She retired after 30 plus years of ownership. In addition to their business she was active in First Baptist Church, Altrusa Service Club, Woodland Hills Garden Club and multiple PTAs. She loved cooking and warmly welcomed her extended family, godsons and their families, neighbors, church friends, and fellow service club members in for a home cooked meal. Hosting family reunions in her Lawley home brought her great joy as did the forty years of fellowship with her Tuscaloosa Supper Club. Ernestine returned to Hoover to be closer to her daughter and family, cheerfully attending many of her grandson’s activities and forming special friendships with her neighbors, Lunch Bunch members and Lakeside Baptist Church Sunday School classmates.

Ernestine will be laid to rest beside her husband in a private service. If you wish to honor her life of serving others please consider one of the following:

sharing flowers from your yard with a friend, enjoying a slice of pound cake and a cup of coffee with a neighbor, inviting someone to your church, volunteering at your local food pantry, checking on a sick class member, supporting a local small business, telling your family how much you love them.