Howard E (Harry) Walker

1934 - 1977  (43 years)

• Name	Howard E (Harry) Walker
  Nickname	Harry
  Born	21 Apr 1934	Marshall County, Kansas
  Gender	Male
  Died	15 Oct 1977	Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas
  Buried	18 Oct 1977	Rossville Cemetery, Rossville, Shawnee County, Kansas
  Person ID	I6869	Rossville
  Last Modified	21 Nov 2019

  
  

  Father	Elmer W Walker,   b. 5 Oct 1905, Irving, Marshall County, Kansas ,   d. 15 Jan 1983, Willard, Shawnee County, Kansas  (Age 77 years)
  Mother	Jennie L Blass Walker,   d. 16 Oct 1972
  Married	4 Apr 1930	Westmoreland, Pottawatomie County, Kansas
  Family ID	F7113	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Lois Hirsch Walker
  Married	25 Oct 1951	Ridgefield, Bergen County, New Jersey
  Children	+ 1. Patti Walker Clayton   2. Craig Walker,   d. 1957   3. Kathy Walker Slater   4. David Walker   5. Richard Walker   6. Steven Walker
  Last Modified	26 Dec 2019 15:06:26
  Family ID	F2824	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 21 Apr 1934 - Marshall County, Kansas  = Link to Google Earth

  
  

• Documents » Slide Show		Obituary- Walker, Howard 1 Howard Walker, 43, laetrile patient, dies Howard E. “Harry” Walker, 43, Rossville, died peacefully at 11:20 a.m. Saturday in Memorial Hospital, after a four-week, laetrile-aided battle with terminal lung cancer. His physician, Dr. Sidney Cohen, said this week Walker had ordered a reduction in the dosage of pain-deadening drugs to remain “very much in command” of the last few days of his life. In the past 1 ½ weeks, Dr. Cohen said growth of the large cancerous tumor in Walker’s right chest had largely been arrested, although it was still growing extremely slowly. Walker’s condition had gradually worsened during the last few days and Saturday the tumor finally blocked off the flow of blood to his heart, the physician said. Cohen said Walker died peacefully, apparently while sleeping, in his hospital room. Walker, a heavy equipment operator employed by Shawnee County, was given up for lost last month after conventional cancer treatments failed. He went to court and succeeded in obtaining further last-ditch treatment with the controversial cancer drug laetrile, which has been condemned by some leading U.S. medical authorities, banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and largely suppressed in this country, despite its widespread use in foreign countries. Walker had received injections of the substance – an extract from peach and apricot pits – for about four weeks. Walker lived three weeks longer than doctors had estimated he would survive. After he began taking the injections, Walker reported he was “feeling great.” Although neither he nor Cohen would attribute his improved condition – and continuing survival – to the laetrile injections. Physicians had said the laetrile injections wouldn’t harm Walker, and Cohen had said that the injections might psychologically help his patient. “I still don’t see what the big furor is about laetrile if it can be used in a setting of good supportive care for a patient,” Cohen was quoted as saying last month after Walker’s first five days of laetrile treatment. Walker told a reporter Wednesday he was glad he had the chance to try the medicine. Walker had stressed he had tried all conventional forms of cancer treatment – and they had failed – before he turned to laetrile. Walker said Wednesday, “I don’t know whether it’s the laetrile or a positive (continued on #2)
  		Obituary- Walker, Howard 2 tive attitude or my faith in God or the good wishes of all the people who have expressed their concern, but I think something is helping.” Walker had received scores of cards and letters since his battle to win the right to use laetrile was first reported in the press. He had said none of the letters were derogatory about himself or Cohen. “I just don’t know how to thank the people for their support,” Walker said in an interview in September. “I have letters from people in similar situations, worse situations and better situations, and they are all supportive.” Walker said in that interview, “I started taking things one step at a time, one hurdle at a time, instead of hitting a brick wall. “I’ve arranged my funeral, most of it, and it’s there if I need it, and if I lick this, then I’ve started thinking of jobs that I could do inside. I’m prepared.” Walker remained hopeful the past week he would be able to walk out of the hospital eventually. Howard E. Walker was born April 21, 1934, in Marshall County. He lived in New Jersey before moving to Rossville 15 years ago. He was an Army veteran of the Korean war. He was a member of Jimmy Lillard Post No. 31 of the American Legion at Rossville, the 69th Brigade of the National Guard at St. Marys and the Christian Church at Rossville. He was married Oct. 25,1951, to Lois Hirsch at Richfield, N. J. She survives. A son, Craig Walker, died in 1957. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Kathy Slater, in Topeka, and Mrs. Patti Clayton, Rossville; twin sons, David Walker and Richard Walker, of the home, and another son, Steven Walker, also of the home; his father, Elmer Walker, Rossville; a brother, Benoni “Pee Wee” Walker, Maple Hill; two sisters, Mrs. Marian Busey, 1121 Winfield, and Mrs. Mabel Foster, Valencia, and six grandchildren. Services will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at Parker-Price Mortuary. Military graveside services will follow at Rossville Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Christian Church at Rossville. Mr. Walker will lie in state after 4 p.m. Sunday at the mortuary.
  		Obituary- Walker, Howard 3 WALKER BURIED IN ROSSVILLE Howard Walker, who fought a legal battle to use laetrile against cancer, will be remembered by people across the nation for his fight for life, a minister said Tuesday at Walker’s funeral. About 135 persons were in a Topeka funeral chapel for the services. Then the flag-draped casket was taken to Rossville, Walker’s home, for burial with military honors due a Korean war veteran. Walker, 43, a former Shawnee County employee, had obtained laetrile in hope of arresting the large tumor that would not respond to radiation or chemical therapy. The Rev. Bob Sieh said Walker would be remembered by his family, the staff at memorial Hospital where he spent his last days and by thousands of people across the country who heard of his fight against cancer. “Harry was a man who even recently appreciated each day of his life, as given to him by God,” the minister said. Walker died in his sleep Saturday at Memorial Hospital. He had petitioned federal court in September to obtain laetrile, an extract of apricot pits that has been banned by the Food and Dr8ub Administration. He was granted a court order forbidding state and federal authorities from interfering with his use of the drug. For awhile Walker’s condition improved and he was able to leave his wheel chair and walk unassisted. Walker’s physician, Dr. Sidney Cohen, said although the laetrile was medically useless, it gave Walker a reason for hope and improved his condition psychologically. Cohen said Walker’s tumor continued to grow and finally blocked the flow of blood to his heart.
  		Funeral card- Walker, Howard 4 Harry E. Walker Apr. 21, 1934 Oct. 15, 1977 Services Parker-Price Mortuary Chapel Oct. 18, 1977 10:00 a.m. Officiating Rev. Bob Sieh Rossville Christian Church Music "The Old Rugged Cross" "I Love to Tell the Story" Vocalist Dorothy Slemmons Organist Nadine Bonnett Casket Bearers Jerry Gee Jim LaCock Bert Heslet Steve Rodina Wayne Beseau Dutch Heslet Military Graveside Services Rossville Cemetery National Guard 69th Brigade
  		Obituary- Walker, Howard 5 Howard Walker Howard E. “Harry” Walker, 43, Rossville, died peacefully at 11:20 a.m. Saturday, October 15, 1977, after a four-week, laetrile-aided battle with terminal lung cancer. His physician, Dr. Sidney Cohen, said this week Walker had ordered a reduction in the dosage of pain-deadening drugs to remain “very much in command” of the last few days of his life. In the past 1 1/2 weeks. Dr. Cohen said growth of the large cancerous tumor in Walker’s right chest had largely been arrested, although it was still growing extremely slowly. Walker’s condition had gradually worsened during the last few days and Saturday the tumor finally blocked off the flow of blood to his heart, the physician said. Cohen said Walker died peacefully, apparently while sleeping, in his hospital room. Walker, a heavy equipment operator employed by Shawnee County, was given up for lost last month after conventional cancer treatments failed. He went to court and succeeded in obtaining further last-ditch treatment with the controversial cancer drug laetrile, which has been condemned by some leading U.S. medical authorities, banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and largely suppressed in this country, despite its widespread use in foreign countries. Walker had received injections of the substance - an extract from peach and apricot pits -- for about four weeks. Walker lived three weeks longer than doctors had estimated he would survive. After he began taking the injections, Walker reported he was “feeling great,” although neither he nor Cohen would attribute his improved condition -- and continuing survival — to the laetrile injections. Physicians had said the laetrile injections wouldn’t harm Walker, and Cohen had said that the injections might psychologically
  		Obituary- Walker, Howard 6 help his patient. “I still don’t see what the big furor is about laetrile if it can be used in a setting of good supportive care for a patient,” Cohen was quoted as saying last month after Walker’s first five days of laetrile treatment. Walker told a reporter Wednesday he was glad he had the chance to try the medicine. Walker had stressed he had tried all conventional forms of cancer treatment -- and they had failed -- before he turned to laetrile. Walker said Wednesday, “I don’t know whether it’s the laetrile or a positive attitude or my faith in God or the good wishes of all the people who have expressed their concern, but I think something is helping.” Walker had received scores of cards and letters since his battle to win the right to use laetrile was first reported in the press. He had said none of the letters were derogatory about himself or Cohen. “I just don’t know how to thank the people for their support,” Walker' said in an interview in September. “I have letters from people in similar situations, worse situations and better situations, and they are all supportive.” Walker said in that interview, “I started taking things one step at a time, one hurdle at a time, instead of hitting a brick wall. “I’ve arranged my funeral, most of it, and it’s there if I need it, and if I lick this, then I’ve started thinking of jobs that I could do inside. I’m prepared.” Walker remained hopeful the past week he would be able to walk out of the hospital eventually. Howard E. Walker was born April 21, 1934, in Marshall County. He lived in New Jersey before moving to Rossville 15 years ago. He was an Army veteran of the Korean war. He was a member of Jimmy Lillard Post No. 31 of the American Legion at Rossville, the 69th Brigade of the National Guard at St. Marys and the Christian Church at Rossville. He was married October 25, 1951, to Lois Hirsch at Richfield, N.J. She survives. A son, Craig Walker, died in 1957. Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Kathy Slater, Topeka, and Mrs. Patti Clayton, Rossville; twin sons, David Walker and Richard Walker, and Steven Walker, of the home; his father, Elmer Walker, Rossville; a brother Benoni “Pee Wee” Walker, Maple Hill; two sisters, Mrs. Marian Busey, Topeka, and Mrs. Mabel Foster, Valencia, and six grandchildren. Services were at 10 a.m. Tuesday (today) at Parker-Price Mortuary. Military graveside services followed at Rossville Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the Christian Church at Rossville. Casket bearers were Steve Rodina, Wayne Beseau, Jerry Gee, Jim Lacock, Bert Heslet, and Dutch Heslet.