Martha: probably
unmarked
Henry: burial place unknown
William: on file, unreadable
Martha Gillus Walker, called Patsy, seems to have been
raised in the household of Edward
and Mahala (Tussey) Walker, but she was not
Edward's natural daughter, and her biological parentage
is unknown. However, she may have been Mahala's natural
daughter, and, in any case, appears to have been considered
a daughter.
She was the first if the children to marry, in about
1833 probably in Claiborne County to Henry Clarkson,
a son of James Lee and Sarah (Cook) Clarkson from up
the Mulberry
road in Lee County, Virginia. Henry was born about
1813 possibly in Virginia and died some time between
1837 and 1840 either in the Mulberry Creek area or in
Lee County; his burial place is unknown. He left Patsy
with two children, and she moved in with or next to
Ned and Haley.
Patsy then married William Clarkson, a nephew of her
first husband; Bill was the son of Fairwick and Agnes
(Muncy) Clarkson. Although Bill's tombstone indicates
that he was born 20 September 1815, he was probably
born six years or so later.
Bill and Patsy married on or near 30 July 1843 in Claiborne
County and had five known children. For a while, they
lived in Hancock County then moved to Bear
Creek and later to the Nave Hill area of Union County
by 1880, when the couple lived near Jonathan Mack Clarkson,
one of their sons. Patsy died, most likely there at
Nave Hill, on 10 March 1884. Family stories place her
unmarked grave in the cemetery on Mack's property, although
those same stories erroneously place Bill there as well.
Bill went on to outlive practically everyone, living
at the end with a grandchild. He died 29 June 1920;
according to his tombstone, he was 104 and according
to some family members, 107. Most likely, though, he
was in his late 90s and possibly did reach 100. Bill
was buried in a marked grave in the cemetery at Cave
Springs Baptist Church in Claiborne County, and there
are no marked graves on either side of him. According
to a caretaker of the cemetery, early burials in this
cemetery were sloppy, sometimes with three people in
one grave, so normally one would guess that Patsy is
buried beside him. However, he was buried by the granddaughter
with whom he lived about 35 years after Patsy died,
and he is buried near that granddaughter and her husband.
So there is less reason than usual to suspect that he
was buried with his wife, and substantial reason to
believe that Patsy was buried on Mack's farm.
