Mrs. Walker was born to the late James Tilden and Roxanna Hailey Barksdale. She was a beloved member of the community. She was respected and admired by everyone who came in contact with her because of her generosity of spirit and zest for life. Mrs. Walker was a member of the First Christian Church of Eden for 94 years. She was their oldest living member. She served her church as a choir member, President of the Missionary Society, member and teacher of the Loyal Sons and Daughter's Class and as a teacher for the Young Girls Class. She was the only living graduate of the 1920 class of Leaksville-Spray Institute, which later became known as Leaksville High School. From 1921 - 1934 she worked in the tax and payroll departments for Marshall Field and Company. Mrs. Walker rolled bandages during World War II for the Red Cross. She was a member of the Spray Garden Club where she helped initiate the care and upkeep of the Woodlawn Cemetery of Eden. She was the treasurer of this fund for over 44 years and her son Barney continues this care. Mrs. Walker remained a member of the Spray Garden Club, the Venie Weaver Club and the Spray Woman's Club until their dissolution. She was a member of the Christian Woman's Club where, in February 2003, she was honored as the Queen of Hearts....and again in 2007. In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her husband, attorney Barney W. Walker, Sr.; an infant son; brothers, James, Lawrence, Julian, Carlyle, and Bill Barksdale; and her sisters, Lillian Adams, Roxie Wright, and Anne Gilley. She was the longest and oldest living member of First Christian Church of Eden. She joined the church at age 12. She was also the only living graduate of the 1920 class of Leaksville-Spray Institute, which later became known as Leaksville High School. Marguerite often invited people into her home to eat. She loved to cook and used fresh vegetables from her garden. She also invited her friends to her home to play her favorite card game "Skip-bo." She was the queen of Skip-bo. Whether she was playing cards with her friends, riding the Surrey in the Fairs' July Fourth Fun Parade, or attending a Christian Women's Club meeting, Marguerite's passion for life shone through. She had a zeal for life; she loved living. Marguerite's relatives described her as a "people person" who made every effort to make people feel welcome in her home and comfortable in her presence. She was always very gracious to everyone. And although she always took pride in her appearance, wearing stylish clothes and jewelry and getting her nails painted, no one could ever accuse her of being haughty, according to her relatives. It was never about her; it was about everybody around her. If you asked how she was doing, she would ask how you were doing to shift the attention away from her. Her demeanor was a kind, gentle demeanor. She was never mad at anybody; she never held grudges. Marguerite was also a woman of faith who memorized passages and was often called on to recite scripture, especially St. Luke's account of the birth of Jesus, known as "the Christmas story." Her other favorites were Psalm 23 and Corinthians 13, known as "the love chapter". Marguerite was blessed with good health, which she attributed to her doctors, family, friends, church and faith in God. She always took care of herself, said Barney. She had all of her natural teeth except one, and she lost that one at the age of 100. She walked up the stairs to her bedroom every night until just a few months ago. At 105, she was her doctor's oldest recipient of a pacemaker. Marguerite started getting weak in September, when she had to go to the hospital, and eventually her organs became so weak that they failed to function. Marguerite spoke at a Masonic Club meeting last Saturday evening and went to church as usual Sunday, said Barney. She started feeling poorly Wednesday evening and couldn't go on a trip Thursday that she and her family had planned. She died Sunday in the same room where she nursed her sister and sister-in-law. She loved her home and she wanted to stay in it for as long as she could. Marguerite had lived at it for 74 years, ever since her husband Barney Walker Sr. had the home built. She loved to travel, but for the lifelong Eden resident, nothing was better than coming home. In her lifetime, Marguerite traveled to Hawaii and Europe and went to Washington, D.C. for her honeymoon, when she and her husband heard Gen. John J. Pershing speak in Congress. She enjoyed going to New York City at Christmastime with her family. After her mother Roxanna Hailey Barksdale died at the age of 96, Marguerite became the matriarch of the family. Her house became the family's "home place." She became the glue of the family and the historian of the family,. She recalls Marguerite telling her stories about the hardships of growing up as the second of 10 children. When her father James Tilden Barksdale was killed in a railroad accident the year Marguerite graduated from high school, she had to begin working in the tax department at Marshall Field, later known as Fieldcrest Mills, to support her family. But Marguerite never complained. After her hard childhood, she appreciated the comfortable life that her husband, an attorney, provided for her. Grateful for all of God's blessings, Marguerite tried to make life better for those around her. She was a member of Spray Garden Club, where she devoted her time to the upkeep of the Woodlawn Cemetery. She often brought home cooked meals to her friends when they were ill and filled several roles at her church, including Sunday school teacher and choir member. Mrs. Walker died at her home at age 106.