Earl Glenn Walker Jr.
Earl Glenn Walker Jr.
Earl Glenn Walker Jr.
July 26, 1935 – July 2, 2017
Oskaloosa, Iowa | Age 81
Earl “Sonny” Walker, 81, of Oskaloosa passed away Sunday, July 2, 2017, at the MHP Hospice Serenity House in Oskaloosa. Earl Glenn Walker, Jr., the son of Earl Glenn Walker, Sr. and Dorothy (Blake) Walker, the fourth of ten children, was born July 26, 1935, in Oskaloosa.
Earl was raised on the Shrago farm near the Nelson Pioneer Farm and attended West Center and East Center Country Schools. After Earl’s father’s death, due to a car accident, his mother married Charles Moore, who was truly a father to Earl and his siblings.
Earl was a 1953 graduate of Oskaloosa High School and enlisted in the Marine Corps following graduation. Due to a back injury during basic training, he was soon honorably discharged. Earl returned to Mahaska County and went to work for the Hanson Road Construction Company building culverts and bridges.
On July 26, 1958, he married the love-of-his-life, Peggy Jo Bakalar, at the Newton Lutheran Church. They initially made their home in Oskaloosa, but soon moved to Albia, where Earl purchased his parent’s farm. This was the first of several farms Earl owned and worked over the course of his life. He also farmed near Oskaloosa and Searsboro. In addition to farming, Earl worked at Superior-Ideal Manufacturing where he served as a foreman, and he was later employed by Pella Rolscreen, where he operated a molding machine.
Although he was always busy with his jobs and farming, Earl also enjoyed coaching his children’s baseball team and practicing ball with his grandchildren. Earl always had a large garden and enjoyed teaching his children and grandchildren gardening, along with canning and freezing that came with its produce. He loved fishing on the North Skunk River and in Canada with his brother. He was never one to shy away from hard work, and he turned a dream into reality when he cleared 20 acres of timber bordering the river by hand and built a fishing cabin for his family.
Earl’s family includes his wife of 58 years, Peggy of Oskaloosa; his children: Tammie Walker (& David Hodges) of Oskaloosa, Steve Walker of Dallas, Texas, Doug (& Melissa) Walker of Oskaloosa and Melinda (& Douglas) Piper of Chariton, IA; 11 grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings: Stephen (& Janet) Walker of Oskaloosa, Gary (& Virginia) Walker of Oskaloosa, Joyce Fox of New Sharon, Dorothy (& Gary) Van Dyk of Denver, Colorado, Karen (& Jack) Bowen of Oskaloosa and Mary Sue Sigler of Oskaloosa.
In addition to his parents and his step-father, Charles Moore, he was preceded in death by sisters, Lugene DeJong and Marilyn Walker; a brother, David Walker; brothers-in-law, Everett Sigler and Junior Fox; and a grandson, Jeordan Piper.
Memorial services for Earl will be held at 11 a.m., Tuesday, July 11th at Grace Lutheran Church in Oskaloosa with Rev. Roger Neumann officiating.
Burial will be in Forest Cemetery.
Memorial contributions can be made to Grace Lutheran Church.
Arrangements in care of Garland-Van Arkel-Langkamp Funeral Chapel. Memories and condolences can be sent to the family by visiting gvlfuneralchapel.com.
