Mildred Walton

Mildred Jeanette Boyles Walton passed away on Sunday, March 16th. She is survived by her brothers Rev. Gene Davis, of Jacksonville, and Doug Davis, of Conroe, Texas. She leaves behind three children: Gerald Boyles (Jill), Jan House, and Jeff Boyles, as well as seven grandchildren—Josh Boyles (Kim), Anna Joy Petross, David “Jay” Walton (Magen), Erin Willis (Brandon), Jamie Walton, Keri Koehler (Eric), and John Walton (Christy)—and fifteen great-grandchildren—KaLee, Autumn, Gracie, and Corban Boyles; Beckham and Rowan Petross; Makaylea and Wyatt Walton; Lillian, David, and Grant Willis; Fritz and Charlie Koehler; and Emma and Dallas Walton. She also had many nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, in-laws, and friends who will feel a void in their lives where Mildred once was.

Mildred was born January 7, 1925, in Cato, Arkansas, to Zack and Beatrice Davis, and was the only daughter among eight children. Her father was a preacher of the gospel of Christ. In 1944, she married a young soldier, Cleaton Albert Boyles, while he was on leave from the U.S. Army. They had 18 wonderful years together before his untimely death in 1962. Although Mildred was unable to graduate from high school because of frequent moves by her family, she obtained her high school equivalency diploma, thereafter earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from what is now the University of Central Arkansas. She went on to teach special education at the elementary school level for 20 years in the Little Rock School District. In 1989, she married Arnold Grant Walton (also known as “Pop” or “Wally”), who was a former U.S. marine and former scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts of America. She shared her life with him until 2011, when he passed away.

Mildred had a great love of nature and plant life. She could tell you the story behind every plant in her garden, including who gave it to her and when (and sometimes why), and would always point out, by name, the various plants and trees along the highways and byways. She was a member of the Master Gardeners, a group of “volunteers who share their knowledge and passion for gardening with their communities”. For a time, she was also a beekeeper and worked at a community garden, together with her beloved “Arnold”.

Mildred’s charitable works are too numerous to count. She was extremely generous with her time, ministering to the sick, the lonely, and the needy; where there was a need, she attempted to meet it. Through the Meals on Wheels program, she delivered food to the housebound. As a volunteer at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital, she provided reading materials and companionship to ailing veterans. She was a member of the Alpha Delta Kappa sorority, a group for women educators, which is involved in various altruistic projects, and was also active in the Arkansas State Teachers Association, which provides support to teachers within the state. However, she will probably be best remembered by the individuals, many of them much younger than her, whose lives were brightened and bettered by her visits and her assistance, provided outside of any professional organization. She was never too busy or too tired to take someone where they needed to go, to bring them what they needed to have, or just to sit with them if they needed company.

Mildred was a devout Christian who was always involved in her local church and beyond. She dedicated her life to the service to others, with a gentle spirit and a quiet trust in Jesus. She will be greatly missed by all who came to know her.