Walkers of Wigton Reunion
August 5, 2006
The Walkers of Wigton Reunion Group
held their 2006 reunion at the First Presbyterian church on August
5, at the First Presbyterian Church in
Macomb IL. Thirty three people
attended.
The business meeting included election
of officers; President, Connie Deener; Vice-President, Alan Walker;
Secretary, Julia Territo; Treasurer, Katie Huston. The group voted
to purchase a reprint copy of the book “Early Days of Greenbush” and
donate it to the McDonough County Genealogical Society Research
library.
The reunion group enjoyed lunch
prepared and served by the Presbyterian Women.
The afternoon program included a
presentation by Libby Grimm of
Macomb on the life of Charles
Gilchrist who was the son-in-law of Joseph Gilmore Walker.
Charles led an interesting
life as a soldier and traveler. He served as leader of a unit
of black soldiers during the civil war and is the only general
buried in
McDonough County. He is buried in the Aberghast-Pearce Cemetery in Walnut Grove Township.
The main presentation of the program
was given by Gary Pearson of
Seattle Washington. He presented his
research and pictures on the life of his ancestor, Abner Walker.
Abner Walker came to
Illinois as part
of the large group of Walkers and their in-laws who migrated
from Kentucky in the 1830’s. He was an inventor who developed
a very successful wooden water pump. He was also a
designer and builder of homes, including one that still
stands on S Randolph Street in Macomb IL.
Abner and his family
eventually settled in
Greenbush IL where he had a saw mill
and they ran a hotel. His daughter and son-in-law, Squire and Mary
E. Buzan, ran a store in Greenbush.
In 1851 Abner’s son and
daughter and then Abner himself died of cholera in Greenbush. The
family is buried in
Greenbush Cemetery.
Following the program a group of
fourteen people toured Greenbush,
Greenbush Cemetery, and the Roseville
Museum.
We would like to thank Foxie Hagerty
and her daughter, Kate, for locating an old map of Greenbush and for
helping us get good pictures of the stones in
Greenbush Cemetery.
Thanks also to Avis and Raymond Hutchins who opened the Roseville
Museum for our group to enjoy.
We would like to hear from others who
are related to the Walkers who came from Wigton, Scotland in 1726,
settled in Chester County Pennsylvania, then moved to
Virginia(1735), then to Kentucky(1794) and then to central Illinois
in 1830. We would especially like to hear from anyone who has more
information about the Abner Walker family in Greenbush and would
certainly like to find a picture of Abner Walker or members of his
family.
If you have information or would like
to know more about our group, contact Connie Deener at
cdeener@macomb.com .
