Walter Raleigh Chambers was born June 28, 1895 in the Wolf Valley Community, May, Brown County, the oldest of nine children of William Harrison Grigsby and Nancy (Shirey) Chambers.  Lela Muriel (DeBusk) Chambers was born August 20, 1898 at Grosvenor, Brown County, the oldest of eight children of Christopher and Nettie (Acre) DeBusk (see Elijah and Sarah DeBusk).  Walter served in the army in World War I from July 22, 1918 to July 23, 1919, stationed near St. Nazaire, France. 

     He and Lela Muriel were married at Cross Plains, September 5, 1920.  They moved to Burkett in 1920 where Walter served as superintendent of schools until his retirement in 1957; his 37 years as head of the Burkett School system gave him the distinction of holding the superintendency of a single school longer than anyone else in the history of Texas.  That record probably still stands.  He was a life member of the Parent Teacher Association.  Walter and Lela Muriel attended North Texas State University.  Walter received his B. A. and B. S. degrees from Daniel Baker College, Brownwood, in August, 1933 after attending ten straight summers.  He was valedictorian of his graduating class . Lela Muriel taught school at Burkett one year.  Walter coached boys basketball the entire 37 years he was at Burkett.  He also coached the girls team for many of those years.  He taught math, bookkeeping, and other subjects.  His five children and one grandson graduated from Burkett High School during his long tenure.  Even with the outstanding basketball teams at Burkett, Walter often said he hoped he was a better geometry and bookkeeping teacher than a coach.  He also taught the Methodist Men's Bible Class at Burkett for 25 years. Lela Muriel (DeBusk) Chambers died September 29, 1946, at Brownwood, buried in Burkett.

     Walter Chambers and Miss Iola Bowden of Georgetown married November 23, 1955 at May.  He moved to Georgetown in 1957 after his retirement.  Iola was professor of piano and music theory at Southwestern University in Georgetown.  Walter worked in the tax assessor-collector's office after moving there.  They moved to Brownwood in 1966 after lola's retirement.  Walter died October 15, 1975 in Brownwood, buried in Burkett.  Iola died December 14, 1978, buried in May.  The children of Walter R. and Lela M. Chambers:

     (1) Juanita Gail, born February 7, 1922 at Burkett, married Charlie Howard Edington of Cross Cut, born July 27, 1919, the son of Luke Vaughn and Rosie Lee (Slate) Edington.  Luke's grandmother was named Golson; Mr. Golson was a surveyor and came to this area in the early 1880's.  Rosie's grandmother Van Huss was a DeBusk.  Charlie served on the school board at Burkett from 1958-1961, at the time Burkett consolidated with Coleman and Cross Plains.  He served two years on the Burkett Cemetery board and is now serving on the board of the Smith Cemetery Association.  He and Juanita moved to the ranch July 16, 1938, located in the Webbville community in northeast Coleman County.  It is part of the old Gray ranch.  They still reside there, and had two children:

       (la) Scotty Howard, June 15, 1939 at Coleman, married Lynda Kay Tyler, born November 26, 1940, on August 1, 1959 at Cross Plains.  Dr. Scot "Scotty" Edington worked in the Cross Plains School system for 20 years; serving as teacher in high school and then superintendent.  He taught Junior High math in Coleman one year.  He now works in the Division of School services at Region 14 Education Service Center in Abilene.  Lynda has taught 7 years in the Cross Plains schools; presently teaches kindergarten.  Children:

         (1) Howard Von, June 16, 1960, married Debbie Kay Anderson, born December 10, 1959 at Pampa, on September 1, 1978.  One child: Zachary Von, March 27, 1981 at Brownwood.  Howard works in the oil field as a contract pumper and Debbie at Citizens State Bank in Cross Plains.  They reside in Burkett.

         (2) Toni Lean, will start Cisco Junior College in the fall of 1983. 

       (1b) Nancy Valeta, July 28, 1950, married Jimmy Carrol Brown, born October 25, 1947 in Pioneer, Callahan County, on August 30, 1968 at home in the Webbville community.  They now reside on the Brown County ranch, a part of which has been in the Edington family since 1886.  Children: 

         (1) Jimmy Chris, May 10, 1971 and (2) Jody Carrol, November 28, 1973, both born in Brownwood.  They attend school at Cross Plains.

     (2) Aleta Muriel, June 29, 1923 at Burkett, married Troy Marcel Coleman, November 16, 1946 at Coleman (see Thomas M. (Bud) Coleman).

     (3) Nancy Olene, June 30, 1925 at Burkett, married Y. B. Johnson, Jr., born July 28, 1921 in Coleman County, the son of Young Beauregard and Carrie Florence Johnson, on June 5, 1943 at Gainesville.  He served as a captain in the 99th Inf. Div. in Europe in World War II.  He graduated from Coleman High in 1938 and Texas A&M in 1947.  He was an agriculture teacher and later owned Johnson Wool and Mohair Company in Goldthwaite.  Y. B. died February 3, 1979, buried Goldthwaite.  Their children: Johnny Beau, September 7, 1953, an attorney, lives in Houston, and Jett Jay, May 14, 1961, attends A&M, both born in San Saba.

     (4) Raleigh Gordon, August 29, 1931 at Santa Anna, married Barbara Jeanne Sublett, born April 8, 1932 at Breckenridge, the daughter of Marvin J. and Marie (Largent) Sublett of Stamford, on December 23, 1951 at Avoca.  Gordon graduated from Burkett High School in 1948 and McMurry College in 1951 and taught school at Goldthwaite in 1951-1952 and Abernathy in 1955-1956.  He served in the U.S. Navy in 1953-1954 and began working for Humble Oil in 1956 where he is still employed (Exxon).  Their daughter, Christi Leigh, was born in El Paso March 30, 1958, married Gary Lynn Wren, one son, Landon Garrett, live at Watauga.

     (5) Harold Glen, September 20, 1937 at Santa Anna, married Billie Marie Halmon, born March 11, 1938 in Coleman, the daughter of J. C. and Ruby (Thomason) Halmon, in Cuidad Acuna, Mexico, on June 21, 1954 (see Thomason-Tidmore).  Harold Glen and Billie are both graduates of Burkett High School and he graduated from McMurry College.  Children: Rode Glen, March 17, 1959, Jule Leann, June 30, 1962, both in Abilene, and Kalena, May 11, 1967 at Fort Worth.  They live in Bedford.