Esther Elizabeth (“Beth”) Walker, D.O., was born in McAlester, Oklahoma on July 15, 1950, to V.T. and Wilma Bayless. Her parents were schoolteachers and preferred to work in small rural schools. Consequently, there were several moves to country schools and townships throughout Oklahoma. However, she considered her hometown to be Ashland in Pittsburg County. Regardless of the school location where she attended, she always excelled in academics, 4-H, and athletics.
In 1968, she graduated from Graham High School located in Dustin, Oklahoma and went on to attend college at Oklahoma Christian College in Edmond, Oklahoma. At OCC, she graduated in just three years and at the top of her class. Her vocational interests were directed to the field of medicine, and she worked as a laboratory technician at Presbyterian Hospital in Oklahoma City. After working as a laboratory technician for 4 years, she decided to apply to medical school. In 1975, she attended the OSU College of Osteopathic Medicine in Tulsa where she, again, performed in an outstanding manner. She graduated from medical school with special recognition in 1978. She completed her rotating internship at South Bend Osteopathic Hospital in South Bend, Indiana.
She married her medical school classmate, James S. Walker, D.O. After their internship in South Bend, she gave birth to her first son, Jonathan. They moved to Hanau, West Germany because of her husband’s military service. She worked as a Department of Army civilian physician at the 209th General Dispensary in Hanau while her husband worked on his military obligation. During her tenure at the U.S. Army dispensary, her medical proficiency and compassion were commended for taking care of the total patient.
In 1981, when the U.S. Army transferred her husband to Fort Leonard Wood, MO, she started a very successful family practice in Crocker, Dixon, and Richland, Missouri. Again, she was known for taking care of the whole patient. Her payment on many occasions was based on the barter system. She was never in need of firewood, garden produce, or meat.
In 1983, the U.S. Army transferred her husband to Fort Hood, Texas. She went to work as an emergency physician at the Metroplex Hospital in Killeen, Texas. She worked for 4 years in the emergency department and gave birth to her second son, Brett. During this time interval, she earned again a reputation for thoroughness, compassion, and patient education.
In 1987, her husband had fulfilled his military obligation, and they moved to Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Again, she went to work as an emergency physician, this time at the Broken Arrow Medical Center. She worked for 4 years at Broken Arrow Medical Center before moving to Edmond, Oklahoma.
In 1991, Beth worked as an emergency physician at the Edmond Regional Medical Center. For the next 12 years, she loved taking care of the variety of patients that presented to the Edmond ED. She subsequently worked in the ED of the Logan County Hospital in Guthrie, Oklahoma for 10 years. She, then, worked at the Midwest City Wound Care Clinic for 6 years and Norman Wound Care Center in Norman, Oklahoma for 10 years. She retired in 2020.
Dr. Beth Walker was a proud member of the Choctaw Tribe of Oklahoma, an osteopathic physician, and a devout Christian. She studied the Bible just as much as she studied her medical texts and journals. She was a master gardener of people. She never minced words and knew how to hold friends accountable. She was never in doubt. She knew how to get patients better and share her wisdom that taught all of us. She loved people and loved them “hard”.
She is preceded in death by her parents, V.T. and Wilma Bayless.
She is survived by her husband, James S. (“Steve”), of the home in Edmond, Oklahoma and her two sons, Jonathan and Brett. Jonathan and his wife, Sarah, live in Burleson, Texas, and have 6 children, Cade, Carly, Jack, Maggie, Katie and JoJo. Brett and his wife, Meredith, live in Austin, Texas, and have 4 children, Barrett, Augie, Van, and Julie.
Family, friends, former coworkers, and others whose lives were touched by Beth are invited to attend her memorial service to be held at the Memorial Road Church of Christ in Edmond, Oklahoma on Saturday, February 15, 2025, at 10:00 am. Interment will be at the Mt. Park Cemetery in Mt. Park, Oklahoma.
Visitation will be held Thursday, February 13, 2025, from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Matthews Funeral Home in Edmond, Oklahoma.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the College of Nursing at Oklahoma Christian University in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Obituary provided by Mathews Funeral Home.