CHARLIE and CHERIE WALKER
Getting to Know Our
First Baptist Church Family
By Gloria LaFata - Membership
Highlight, December 2021 edition, FBC Tidings newsletter of First Baptist
Church (FBC), McMinnville, Oregon. Some minor edits were made by the poster.
I had the joy and
the privilege of interviewing Charlie and Cherie Walker recently. They have
been married for 62 years and I believe the title of this marriage could be
"Loving Partnership" or as Cherie suggested, "Travels with
Charlie!" Here is their story.
Cherie, an only
child, was born in McCook, Nebraska. Her father died when she was only 9 months
old, leaving her mom a single working mother. Without family support, and
working as a secretary, they moved often - to Texas, Louisiana, Colorado, Utah
and eventually, San Francisco.
Consequently,
Cherie was in Boarding Schools until 8th grade, when she and her mom started
living together in an apartment in Salt Lake City. Summers were spent in
Nebraska with an aunt.
She took her first
job at 14, working in a San Francisco flower shop, after school and weekends.
In College at San Francisco State, she worked part time in the Admissions
Office. (Johnny Mathis was a fellow student!) From there, she went to New York
City to get her MA at Columbia. She was secretary to the female head of her
department. It was at Columbia that she met Charlie.
Charlie, an only
child, was born in Bolivar, Pennsylvania. His mom died when he was 6 years old,
so he lived with his grandparents. His first job was in 9th grade, working in a
grocery store after school, packing potatoes in bags by the peck, earning 5o
cents every Saturday.
In his Senior year
he got a job writing for a small town newspaper. Benefits included his own
phone, a free newspaper and he was paid 11 cents an inch! In his high school graduation
class of 18, 3 of them went off to college, including Charlie. He commuted 6o
miles, each way, to the U. of Pittsburgh.
In his Junior year
of College, he decided his small town needed an Appliance Store. He got the
collateral, rented space, contracted with Westinghouse and hired a blind man to
mind the store when he was at college. It all worked out well and Charlie
learned a lot about blind people and how to run a small business.
After graduation,
Charlie got a job teaching Junior High in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. While
there, he was called into the Army for two years, the Army Signal Corp. After
his two-year commitment, he went back to his old job that they had held for
him, where he stayed two more years.
When his
grandfather died, he inherited a little money, so decided to go to Columbia
University in New York to earn his MA. There he met Cherie. At Columbia he had
two part time jobs: mentoring an African-American youth, who had no male figure
in his life, and working at a YMCA as an Activities Manager for Youth.
He finished his MA
in one year and went on to Rockford College in Rockford, Illinois, as Dean of
Men, Director of Placement, Assistant Professor of English and Assistant Tennis
Coach (something he had to teach himself). After a year, Cherie joined him
there and they married. They stayed two more years and Cherie worked as a
District Director with the Girl Scouts in Rockford.
Their next move was
to Stanford for Charlie's Doctorate, where he studied higher education and
Latin American Studies. Cherie worked as District Director of Girl Scouts in
Redwood City, California. While working on his PhD, Charlie taught two classes
at Menlo College and patrolled the dorms, enabling them to get a rent free
apartment and save money for a trip they were planning!
After Charlie got
his PhD, they took a 3-month trip on a freighter to South America, stopping at
all the Central American ports along the way. After this trip, it was on to
Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, where Charlie was Academic Dean for
6 years. It was there they adopted their two children, Douglas and Christy.
Because of the way she was raised, Cherie wanted to be the one to raise their children
so that was the end of her Professional career. Her Unprofessional career as
hostess began then, for the many guests Charlie invited into their home.
Their next move was
to Troy, New York, for five years where Charlie was President of Russell Sage
College, a women's college. Since it wasn't a great fit, they searched for a
new opportunity, which brought them to McMinnville and Linfield College.
It was 1975 when
Charlie became President of Linfield. His first order of business was to get
Linfield on solid financial ground. He established the International Exchange
Program and started the RN Program.
Something that was
really important to him was bringing outstanding, world renowned people to
Linfield and inviting the community to hear them speak. He wanted to unite the
college and the community. Speakers included Henry Kissinger, President Gerald
Ford, President Jimmy Carter, Beverly Sills, Chancellor Helmut Kohl, etc. Each
speaker was invited into their home for dinner, along with other guests. Cherie
says it was definitely challenging, but such an honor to meet so many
outstanding and famous people.
Cherie and Charlie,
upon arrival, searched for a church. They chose FBC because of the friendly
people, Bernie Turner, and the wonderful Children's Program, where Cherie
team-taught with Roz Turner and Mary Martin.
When Charlie
retired in 1992, the couple moved to Neskowin, on the Oregon coast, because
they love the ocean. Charlie was instrumental in starting a Library and
developing the Neskowin Chamber Music Series. Cherie volunteered at the
Tillamook County Health Department and started her own business, creating and
making wedge-shaped placemats when none could be found for their round table.
They were so popular that in 1994 she got a contract with Norm Thompson's
Solutions Catalog. She loved every minute even though it was a steep learning
curve.
The Walkers moved
back to McMinnville in 2014, and have been active in our church ever since.
Charlie on the Endowment Committee, Deferred Maintenance Committee, the 150th
Anniversary Committee, the Board, etc., and Cherie with Buildings and Grounds,
the Winter Shelter, and Sew & Sews.
The Walkers have
two children. Their son Douglas is in Atlanta, soon to be in Portland, and their
daughter Christy is in Kansas with her two children, the Walkers’
grandchildren.
Cherie and Charlie
love the ocean, ships, their Delightful Dinner Group, trips to Ashland for
Shakespeare plays, traveling, entertaining, reading, music, the Walking Group
and Charlie loves to make Ice Cream and Homemade Soup! They've had wonderful
trips from a simple overnight double round trip on a Lake Michigan Car Ferry,
to Europe to South America to Australia to the elegant trip across the Atlantic
on the Queen Mary II and so many more. "Travels with Charlie!"
indeed.
We are so fortunate
to have Cherie and Charlie in our community and our church, sharing their wisdom,
talents and generosity with us all. What a privilege to call them friends.
Thank You!
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