Grover Alton Walls Sr., continued farming into his 80s

Grover Walls of Hampton was always a relic farmer, a throwback to earlier times.

For years, he was one of Henry County’s top cotton producers, his children said, and during the early 1950s he managed Talmadge Farms in Lovejoy, home of then Georgia Gov. Herman Talmadge and his wife Betty.

During the past decade, when many Henry County farmers began selling their land to developers, Mr. Walls hung on to most of his property, his family said.

“He always loved the smell of a freshly turned plowed field,” said daughter Sue Wilson of Hampton.

Six years ago, at age 82, he planted his last major crop: sunflowers to attract doves. He worked his fields regularly until age 85, his children said.

During the 1960s, Mr. Walls was well-known for his cotton crop, said Hampton Mayor R.W. Coley. During that time, most of the county’s farmers already had given up on cotton as their main income and were planting smaller crops. Mr. Walls, however, leased additional land to increase his harvest, his children said.

They said their father wanted to plant 1,000 acres in cotton and bring the season’s first bale to the local gin. He met both goals for several years, said his oldest son, Grover Walls Jr. of Woodstock.

“Even then, for a small farmer to plant that much cotton was a lot,” said his son, who regularly helped on the farm while growing up. “Today if you tried to do it you’d have to borrow one or two million dollars. Farming is almost like gambling. The bigger the crop, the more risk there is.

“Dad always had an optimistic outlook, and a sense of humor,” he added.

Grover Alton Walls Sr., 88, of Hampton died July 2 at Lafayette Nursing and Rehab Center in Fayetteville of complications from Alzheimer’s disease. A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Saturday at Haisten Funeral Home chapel in McDonough, with visitation at 2 p.m. Haisten Funeral Home -- McDonough is in charge of arrangements.

Mr. Walls grew up during the Depression, the son of a farming family in Nicholson. His father signed for him to join the Navy during World War II because he was too young to enlist on his own, said daughter Betty Crook of Hampton.

After his military service, Mr. Walls moved to Atlanta and stayed with a sister who owned a boarding house, Mrs. Crook said. That’s where he met his future wife, Edna Hamilton of Seneca, S.C. They were married 65 years. Mrs. Walls now resides in an assisted living facility in Griffin.

The young family lived on Talmadge Farms for a few years in the 1950s while Mr. Walls managed the agriculture operation. Mrs. Wilson said her parents used to recall the many guests who visited the governor’s home.

“There were quite a few celebrities who came through,” Mrs. Wilson said. “One my dad used to talk about was Billy Graham. He made quite an impression on him.”

Once settled on their own property, Mr. Walls and his wife were always self-employed. In addition to cotton, they harvested wheat, soy beans and other crops through the years.

Their two sons helped with the planting and harvesting, and all five children spent Saturdays peddling the family’s vegetables at the Georgia Farmers Market in Forest Park, Mrs. Crook said.

In the late 1960s and early ’70s, the Walls family opened mom-and-pop gas stations and convenience stores to make extra money. Mrs. Walls fried chicken and prepared other foods to sell. They even sold tires at one time.