Tommie Sue Walker

Tommie Sue Walker

Father- Tom Bridges

Mom- Annie Mae McAllister

Survived by:

Daughter Susan Butterworth & husband John

Stepson Ronnie Walker & wife Sandra

Stepdaughter Cathy Crisp & husband Alfred

One grandnephew Zachary Betchan and grandchildren Kristen, Shannon, Chris, Jesse, Dillon, Ashlee

Great grandchildren- seven

Two brother in- laws Tim Walker & Bobby Walker

Preceded by, Husband Arnold Walker, daughter Carla Wilson, sister Betty Rhodes, brother in law Charles Rhodes and niece Anne Betchan in Enid, OK

Services: March 24th, 2022   2pm

Sossoman Funeral home

Tommie’s passing means that she is with the Lord now, we ask that you rejoice in God’s plan of how we are all called home in his time.

Tommie Sue loved the mountains of North Carolina, as a small child her family often visited relatives in the Spruce Pine area. Growing up on Linville Street in downtown Morganton she attended Morganton High School, but graduated from Drexel High School in 1959. Later, her dad Mr. Bridges bought the first two cabins in the Ginger Cake Acres. She spent many weekends taking in the fresh mountain air. She was known for her “camping” vacations.

 Tommie’s second marriage with Arnold Walker was a union blessed of love & companionship for almost 50 years. Together, they spent over thirty five years living on the frontage of beautiful Wilson Creek. She and Arnold created a former landmark on the Creek, which will always be remembered as Walker’s Country Store. Tommie Sue’s love for Wilson Creek was shown when she was one of the driving forces of getting the adjoining property preserved, as the beginning of the area being accepted in “National Wild & Scenic River”. She and Arnold are both recognized on the 

“Visitor Center Rock Memorial” at the center on Wilson Creek.

Forty-nine thousand acres of wilderness comprise the Wilson Creek area establishing the Visitors center. They believed the river was one of North Carolina’s most pristine and rugged terrains. This accomplishment also preserved the 23.3-mile mountain stream, called Wilson Creek, which was added to the National Wild and Scenic River System in 2000. Much work was done for this huge land preservation and it all started with the adjoining land to their property, the original 6.4 acres alongside the creek, purchased by Caldwell County. 

Tommie Sue retired from J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center with over twenty years of service, her work there was a labor of love.

In her retirement, they set out to check off the bucket list. Buying an RV and traveled touring old ghost towns and western history. They truly loved the people and the warmer less humid climate in Arizona. 

So much so, that they took a second residence in Bowie, Az. During the ten years out west, Tommie Sue & Arnold nurtured and cherished their new Arizona friends, neighbors and church family, both being proud members of Bowie Baptist Church. They loved to share their church and travel adventures. 

The funeral service will be held at 2 P.M., Thursday, March 24, 2022 in the Colonial Chapel of Sossoman Funeral Home.