Date of Death: July 7, 1910
Interment source:
Bay View Cemetery Association, Corpus Christi, Texas. Record of Interments
NO HEADSTONE
Biography
There is no stone to mark the grave of the one noted in the Record of Interments as "Elize Walker". This written record kept by the Bayview Cemetery Association lists those buried from 1897 to 1913 (with some apparent gaps in the register). Most of the Walkers in Corpus Christi at this time were members of the African-American community. Some of the members of this family known to be buried in Old Bayview Cemetery include Ira Bass Walker and her mother as well as probably their husbands. The records of interment note that this Walker was "col." (Colored) and had at least one son to survive him. The record further states that the person died 7 July 1900. The person who best fits this description is actually a man by the name of "Elijah Walker". However, he and his son were also called "Lige" and "Elige", and it appears that this may be the person in question. Unfortunately this cannot be confirmed. Elijah Walker does appear in the 1880 census records of Nueces County (p. 31) as a 35 year old native of Kentucky. His wife Maria who also appears in the census died on the train in 1891 while on her way home to Corpus Christi after receiving medical treatment in San Antonio (Caller of 15 August 1891 page 5 column 1). There is no indication of which cemetery received her body. The son of Elijah and Maria Walker (Elijah Jr.) married Ira Bass-Cook (daughter of Mary Bennett). Mary Bennett and her daughter are clearly buried in Old Bayview as noted earlier. It seems likely that Ira's husband who died in 1908 and Mary's husband Aaron Bennett who died in 1887 are also in Old Bayview Cemetery with their spouses. There is no record of their burials in any of the cemeteries of Corpus Christi. Unfortunately they died prior to the keeping of records by the Bayview Association. This Elize/Elijah/Lige Walker (Sr.) would have been survived by sons and at least one daughter, Ella Walker, who married Jackson Riley (Nueces County Marriage Records volume F) in 1894. In the 1900 census records of Nueces County Ella and Jackson Riley are listed on page 161B. Living with them are her brothers "Lige" (born Dec. 1875) who appears to be listed in the 1880 census with his family under the name "Eliza". However, the age of this child fits for Lige/Elijah (Jr.). There are similar discrepancies with the names of the other sons although their sister is listed as "Ella" in both the 1880 and 1900 census records. In the 1900 census no father or mother is listed with them. While it is known that their mother died in 1891, the absence of their father in the household suggests that he too was already deceased and may be the "Elize" listed in the interment records. If so, then this gentleman was born about 1845 in Kentucky and died in July of 1900 at about 55 years old. It would also mean that his spouse Maria Walker is probably also buried in Old Bayview Cemetery.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell