Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 5.djvu/186

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VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

May 30. 1867. Mary Elizabeth Darden, born at Holy Neck, Virginia, November 16, 1839, daughter of \Villiam and Nancy (Langston) Darden. Her brother, Dempsey Darden, was also a Confederate soldier, serving in the Forty-first Regiment Virginia Infantry. Children of Luther and Mary E. Rawls : i. Jesse P., l)orn June 28, 1868 ; a cotton broker of Enterprise, Alabama ; married Maggie Jones; five children. 2. Rosa M., born June 19, 1870; married E. S. Norfleet, farmer, of Holland, Virginia. 3. Willie Nancy Darden, born September 8, 1872; married J. Vivian Gathing, farmer, of Gates county. North Carolina; two children. 4. Japheth Edward, of whom further. 3. Mary Sue, born March 11, 1877; married Ernest H. Williams, of Smithfield, Virginia ; an at- tornc}' ; two children. 6. David Luther, born July 5, 1879; physician, associated with his brother, Japheth E Rawls ; a graduate of the LTniversity Medical College of Rich- mond, 1908.

Dr. Japheth Edward Rawls was born at Holy Neck, Nansemond county, Virginia, February 15, 1875. After preparatory courses in the public schools, he entered Elon College, at Elon, North Carolina, in the fall of 1889, and was graduated there- from with the degree of A. B., with high honor in the class of 1896. He then took thorough courses in medicine and surgery in the best colleges in the coiuitry, receiv- ing his degree of M. D. from Bellevue Hos- pital IMedical College, New York City, in 1899. He began practice in Suffolk, Vir- ginia, January 15, 1900, and has been in continuous practice there until the present date (1915). His post-graduate study in- cluded a special course at the Lying-in- Hospital of New York, the Polyclinic Medi- cal College of New York City, the Post- (iraduate Medical School of Chicago, and the Illinois School of Electro Therapeutics. Thus thoroughly equipped, Dr. Rawls min- isters to a large clientele, specializing in surgery, a branch of his profession in which he is most skillful.

Dr. Rawls was one of the founders of Lake View Hospital Sanitarium (Inc.) at Suffolk, 1905, and has been surgeon to that institution since its foundation. He was city physician of Suffolk for six years, and is physician and surgeon to the Nansemond County Alms House. He is the assistant local surgeon of the Seaboard Railway at

Suffolk. Notwithstanding the heavy de- mands of his private and public practice. Dr. Rawls devotes a share of his time to the general interests of his profession, hold- ing membership in the Seaboard Air Line Railway Surgical, Virginia Medical, South- ern Medical, American Medical, Seaboard Medical, and Virginia South Side Medical societies ; has been president of the two lat- ter named and interested in the work of all. His contributions to the literature of his profession are highly valuable articles that from time to time appear in the leading medical journals, attracting widespread attention. He is a member of the Christian church (O'Kelly) and serves on the music committee of the church. In political faith he is a Democrat, but the constant demands of his profession preclude all active political interest.

Dr. Rawls married, November 24, 1908, Emma Copeland Holland, born at Holy Neck, X'irginia, September 3, 1882. daughter of Charles E. and Sue (Jones) Holland, and niece of Congressman E. E. Holland. Chil- dien, all born in Suffolk, Virginia: Ann Pretlow. born November 9, 1909; Mary Sue. born September 19, 191 1; Japheth Edward Jr., born April 13. 1914.

William R. Walker. After eight years of service in the fire department of the city of his birth, Portsmouth, V^irginia, William R. W'alker, in 1909, became chief of the city's fire fighting forces, in which high office, through re-election in 1913, he continues to the present time. The history of this de- partment of Portmouth's municipal organ- ization contains the records of its leaders who have served valiantly, faithfully and long, and to measure up to the standards established by them is indeed a worthy goal. To this aim Mr. Walker has addressed him- self, prepared by long experience in the ranks and an honorable record of subordi- nate service, and the five years that he has passed in the leadershij) of the fire depart- ment show that to the history of the depart- ment another chapter, in excellence supple- menting well those preceding it, is to be added.

The family line of which Mr. Walker is a member is one of North Carolina, his father, Lewis Wilson Walker, coming to Portsmouth, Virginia, from Tarboro, Edge- combe countv. Lewis \\^ilson Walker was