Wilbur Fisk Walker papers

Wilbur Fisk Walker was born in Pendleton, Madison County, Indiana, October 23, 1845. He was the son of Madison Green Walker and Mary Ann Chapman Walker. He was licensed to preach at the Pendleton Quarterly Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1867 by Rev. J. V. R. Miller, then Presiding Elder of Richmond District. He attended Indiana Asbury University and graduated in 1868. While an undergraduate he was one of the founding members of the Indiana Alpha chapter of Phi Kappa Psi fraternity. In 1869 he was admitted to the North Indiana Conference MEC, married Mary Morrison and served as preacher in Centenary (now Simpson), Fort Wayne, Winchester, and Peru churches. In 1873 he was appointed missionary to North China and transferred to that Conference when it was created in 1893. He served the church as preacher, teacher, presiding elder and translator. He remained in China (except for furloughs) until 1906. He retired in 1908 and was readmitted to the North Indiana Conference. He had four sons and two daughters: Guy M. Walker, Merle N. A. Walker, Bertram Walker, Oren D. Walker, Grace Walker and Joyce Esther Walker. The latter years of Dr. Walker's life were spent with his daughters in Evansville.