Lucille Anne Walker

Lucille Anne "LouAnne" (Koch) Walker, age 84, of Gambier Street, Mount Vernon, Ohio, died Monday June 30, 2008, at home. She was born March 29, 1924, in Chicago, Ill., to Thomas W. and Louise (Schultz) Koch.

LouAnne graduated from Mount Vernon High School in 1942. She attended Katherine Gibbs School for Secretarial Science in New York City and Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

She was a longtime member of First Presbyterian Church in Mount Vernon, where she served as president of the First Presbyterian Church Women's Association, from which she received The Church Woman's Honorary 1982 Award. LouAnne sang in the chancel choir and taught Sunday school for many years. She was a member and past president of Psi Iota Xi Sorority, a philanthropic organization, and she enjoyed her time as a member of The Review Book Club.

Serving on parent committees of her daughters' many organizations, LouAnne was an avid parent supporter of the Girl Scouts, 4-H, and East Elementary and Wiggins Street Parent Teacher Associations. She was very proud of her four daughters' becoming teachers and touching the lives of thousands of children.

She programmed voting machines for the Knox County Board of Elections and served as a poll worker. LouAnne was a long time member of the Mount Vernon YMCA. In addition to swimming miles in the pool, she was an active member for many years in the Aqua Dynamics Class and taught swimming for the YMCA preschool swimming classes.

LouAnne was an accomplished vocalist and enjoyed playing the piano. She had a flair for decorating and was noted for always volunteering to make table arrangements for church and group functions. LouAnne enjoyed playing bridge and was active in various bridge clubs.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas and Louise Koch, her sister, Constance and an infant granddaughter, Carey Highnam.

On Feb. 9, 1946, she married Gerald (Gus) M. Walker at the Gay Street United Methodist Church in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

She is survived by Gerald, her spouse of 62 years; her four daughters, Lynda (Emiel) Smet of Amissville, Va., Claudia (Kenneth) Grove, Jennifer (Paul) Highnam, both of Mount Vernon, and Nancy (Michael) White of Marysville, Ohio; her six grandchildren, Todd Grove of Westlake, Ohio, Kelli Highnam of Jeffersonville, Ind., Molly and Sam Highnam of Mount Vernon, Gretchen and Brendan White of Marysville, Ohio; her brother, Thomas (Arwilda) W. Koch Jr. of Lynnwood, Wash., and several nieces and nephews.

Besides being devoted to her family, she had an enduring love for the family pets and nature.

A memorial service will be held Sunday, July 6, 2008, at First Presbyterian Church in Mount Vernon at 4:30 p.m. with the Rev. Jonathan Fettig and the Rev. Dr. David Baker presiding. Friends are invited to visit the family at the church after the service. A private burial will be observed by the family.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations be made in LouAnne's name to Hospice of Knox County, The Palliative Care Unit at Knox Community Hospital, or the Center for Cancer Care at the Knox Community Hospital.

The Dowds-Snyder Funeral Home, in Mount Vernon, is honored to serve the Walker family.

To send a condolence to the family, visit www.snyderfuneralhomes.com.

(PAID OBITUARY)