Bro. Jimmy Walker, 89
October 12, 1935 – January 22, 2025
After a life fully dedicated to the service of his Lord and Savior, Bro. Jimmy Walker entered into his heavenly home on Tuesday, January 22, 2025, in Corinth, MS.
Services Celebrating Bro. Walker’s life will be at 1 PM Saturday, January 25, 2025, at West Ripley Baptist Church. Visitation will be from 5 PM until 8 PM on Friday January 24, 2025, at West Ripley Baptist Church and will continue from 12 Noon until time of service on Saturday. Graveside services will follow in Tiplersville Cemetery.
James Rossman Walker, Sr. was born October 12, 1935, in Cold Water, MS. to the late Tolbert Herman Walker and Janie Silvernail Walker. He attended Independence School and Northwest Jr. College before entering the U.S. Air Force in February of 1953. He became a fire fighter and member of the crash crew. After many stateside deployments, he ended his enlistment by serving in Kisarazu, Japan (Just across the Bay from Tokyo). He was honorably discharged on December 17, 1956, where he held the rank of Airman 1st class.
Bro. Walker was a pastor for over 40 years. He was licensed to preach on January 20, 1957, and graduated from Clarke College in Newton, MS in 1958, along with receiving a bachelor’s degree from Mississippi College. He and Earlene Lott were married on August 28, 1958. He received the Master of Divinity degree from New Orleans Seminary in 1966. He served the following Mississippi Baptist churches: Ellison Ridge in Louisville; Macedonia in Louisville; New Prospect in Oxford; Riverside in Clarksdale; Oak Grove in Pinola; Springdale in Ripley; Pheba in Pheba; and Tiplersville in Tiplersville.
For the past 20 years, Bro. Jimmy has been a member of West Ripley Baptist Church.
Among his many outreach ministries, Bro. Walker was very active in 4-H work. He was a volunteer for years in the Tippah County 4-H. He was a volunteer fire-fighter and a writer of newspaper articles. He was instrumental in beginning a volunteer fire station in Pheba, MS. Many may remember him as being active and very vocal in Association and State Baptist ministry. He led Springdale Baptist Church evangelism ministry at First Monday Watering Hole. He was active as an evangelist or a volunteer missionary in countries like Guatemala, Argentina, Honduras and Costa Rica. He served as mission team coordinator in the New York area after 9-11 and another year in Maryland with the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention. He even helped out in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina. Bro. Walker and his loving wife of 66 years, Mrs. Earlene, worked at the Good Samaritan Center in Ripley for many years after retirement. For as many years as he was physically able, Bro. Jimmy served his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, with all of his heart, soul, mind and strength.
Bro. Jimmy is preceded in death by 3 brothers: Robert Allen Walker, Bill Walker and TH Walker, and 2 sisters: Francis Gatlin and Mary Florence Messick. He is survived by his brother, Brig. Gen. (ret) George Walker.
In addition to his wife of 66 years, Mrs. Earlene, he is survived by his children, Beth Bailey (Al), Jim Walker (Sherry), and Henry Walker (Lisa), 15 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.
Family requests that donations be made to the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention at namb.net/give or memorials can be made to the Sartor-Walker Tippah County 4-H Memorial Scholarship, within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Mississippi State University.
MSU Foundation, ATTN: Sara Frederic, P.O. Box 6149, Mississippi State, MS 39762.
Please follow the funeral home link above for further information, or to send online condolences or memorial gifts.
