Frances Banks Walker

Frances Walker, age 91, passed away on December 27, 2019 at Hospice Ministries. She resided at The Waterford in Ridgeland. Visitation will be held 5-7pm on Sunday December 29, 2019 and 10-11am Monday December 30, 2019 at Parkway Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held 11:00am Monday in the chapel of Parkway Funeral Home on Highland Colony Parkway in Ridgeland. Burial will follow in Parkway Memorial Cemetery.

Mary Frances Banks was born on June 17, 1928 in the Neshoba community between Philadelphia and Union. She was the youngest of five children born to Ed and Maude Banks. Frances grew up in Walnut Grove where she was an outstanding student and athlete at Walnut Grove High School from which she graduated in the class of 1946. She was especially proud of her basketball skills and talked often of the many games she played against the other Leake County schools such as Lena, Madden, Standing Pine, Freeny and Carthage.

Upon graduation, she moved to Jackson and began working at the brand new Sears store on North State Street. One night, she attended a church social at Griffith Baptist Church where she met Tommy Walker. They were married on December 25, 1949 at Griffith Memorial Baptist Church and were married for over 62 years until Tommy’s death in March of 2012. She continued playing basketball after moving to Jackson and marrying. She was well-known during that period as a player for a city league team in Jackson called the Flying Fish. During her working career, she was a secretary at Ralston Purina, Southern Farm Bureau, and First National Bank. She eventually became the owner of Walker Sales Company and was well known in the feed and grain industry throughout Mississippi and other states finally retiring when she was in her seventies.

Frances loved to camp, especially at Rocky Springs, Panama City Beach, and the Smokies but her favorite thing was attending and supporting any school event or ball game that involved any of her 3 children or 4 grandchildren. She and Tommy were huge Ole Miss fans and were season ticket holders for football, basketball, and baseball for many years. They were also consistent supporters of the Ole Miss Band. Her favorites were of course Archie and later Eli. In fact, she was still mad that the Saints traded Archie to the Houston Oilers! Another of her favorite things were family gatherings especially at Thanksgiving and Christmas, when she could always be counted on to supply cornbread dressing, pralines, a pecan pie, and a chess pie. More than any of these things, she loved her family deeply and unconditionally!

At various times, she was an active member of Griffith, Hillcrest, First Madison, Highland Colony, and Broadmoor Baptist churches. She was very proud that she and Tommy were charter members and founders of Highland Colony Baptist Church in Ridgeland. At the time of her death, she attended The Still Water Church at The Waterford.

Other than her parents she is preceded in death by her husband Tommy; her sister, Johnnie; and three brothers: Edwin, Gary, and Clyde. She is survived by her children: David (Susie) of Little Rock, AR, Melissa Walker Rhodes (George) of Madison, and Rip (Wanda) of Madison; her grandchildren Spencer Rhodes of Nashville, Wesley Walker of Brandon, Andrew Walker of Madison, and Kristen Rhodes Williams (Trevor) of Brandon; and great granddaughter, Maclin Walker of Philadelphia, PA. She is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff of The Waterford, the workers of Covenant Caregivers, and her special caregiver, Justina Bober, for the love shown by these people to our mother. She will be greatly missed.