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JoAnn Walker of Alvarado passed away Monday evening, November 16, 2020, with family by her side. Funeral: 10 A.M. Saturday at First United Methodist Church of Alvarado. Interment: Glenwood Cemetery. Visitation: 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at Clayton Kay-Vaughan Funeral Home in Alvarado. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First United Methodist Church of Alvarado is her memory. Mrs. Walker was born in El Centro, California on May 26, 1930, to Lloyd and Josephine Prestridge. She was one of two children. Mrs. Walker and her family moved to Alvarado, Texas shortly after her birth where she lived her entire life. After graduating as Valedictorian from Alvarado High School, Mrs. Walker married Bill Walker, her high school sweetheart. Mrs. and Mr. Walker were married until his passing in 2013. In their 65 years of marriage they had four children, Ken Walker and Linda Zevallos and infants (deceased) Larry and Gary Walker. Family was everything to Mrs. Walker and she was adored by 7 grandchildren and thirteen great-grandchildren. A life is rarely summarized in simply the dates of one's life and death, but the path that they walked. For JoAnn Walker, that path was one of strength and character, with which she served her family, led in her community, and honored the Lord. She impacted thousands of people through her volunteer and leadership roles at the First United Methodist Church of Alvarado, the Alvarado Pioneers and Old Settlers reunion, the Alvarado Garden Club, Santa’s Helpers, the Clio Club and Meals on Wheels and many others.
To her family and friends, she was a woman of grace and grit, strength and humility, leadership and service. She exemplified the perfect recipe of a life well lived, not by the possessions she had but by the things on which she placed importance. This recipe is not one to protect, but to share with the generations to come, that we may see more women like her.
Mrs. Walker knew exactly what made a beautiful family including a firm foundation of faith in God and respecting your spouse which binds a family tightly together, and the example she set was a gift to generations of children in her family. Home is not defined by the four walls but by the community built within those four walls. The best lessons in life are learned around a kitchen table. A parent’s role is to believe in their children so that they learn to believe in themselves. Travel is important to expanding your horizons. Respect and decency are owed to everyone, not just the ones with whom you agree. A true friend doesn’t pull you out of the hard parts of life, they walk with you through it. Learning is a life-long journey, and a sense of humor is the spice of life. These lessons and so many more will be lovingly carried by Mrs. Walker's family, and all who had the honor of calling her friend.
Mrs. Walker is survived by her brother, Edwin Prestridge and his partner Jerry Sadler of Bedford, Texas, son Ken Walker and wife, Vickie, of Charlotte, North Carolina and daughter Linda Zevallos of Alvarado, Texas. She is also survived by her grandchildren, BJ Zevallos, Joel Walker, Carolyn Nelms, Corby Walker, Michael Zevallos, Tommy Zevallos, and Kristi Wells. She is also survived by her great grandchildren, Madeline Walker, Jordan Walker, Caden Walker, Sky Nelms, Laird Nelms, Walker Wells, Landon Wells, Piper Wells, Abigail Walker, Evangeline Walker, Brody Zevallos, Alexandra Zevallos, and Dylan Zevallos.
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