LIKE MANY small towns, Flintville offers rustic charm and a strong sense of community for those seeking a slower pace of life. But this small town has one attribute that other small towns don’t have. It has Velva Walker.
Walker is known throughout the community for helping people preserve their special memories. She is a self-taught photographer who has honed her skill through a true labor of love.
Middle school home ballgames are standards for Walker. Sports fans can find her on the sidelines, snapping shots of players from both home and visiting teams. She has covered fire department fundraisers, school events, church functions, the well-received Fabulous Fifties Show, and much more.
“Flintville is a rural community. You will find a post office, the Flintville Mini Mart, the fire department, a Baptist church, and the Flintville pre-K through eight school, which I’ve worked at for 20 years,” she said. “Not a lot goes on in the Flintville community, but when it does, I’m camera-ready to share it with others.”
Her willingness to show up at every noteworthy event possible has earned her the nickname of the “Flintville Flash.” Practically everyone in the small town and surrounding areas knows who she is. But fame is not what Walker seeks. Neither is fortune.
“This is my ministry,” she said. “God gave me this blessing so that I can bless someone else.”
Because Walker considers her talent a gift from God, she doesn’t charge for her work.
“When I first started doing this, people didn’t have the convenience of cellphones. I would show up at ballgames with my camera to take pictures of my own children,” she said. “I would also take pictures of other children and then give them to their relatives. I would give them a memory.”
Walker recalled a time when a child’s grandmother stopped her when she was working. The woman thanked her and told her it was the first and only picture she had of her grandchild.
“Am I the best photographer? No. Are my pictures perfect? No. But if the pictures bring a smile to a person’s face, that’s what I can do. I can’t take credit. I give God the credit. It is my ministry.”
As Walker’s children grew older, new opportunities became available. The school librarian sent word that the school needed more pictures for the annual and asked if Walker would mind sharing hers. When the books came out at the end of the year, Walker noticed her pictures filled the pages.
When the next year rolled around, Walker shared even more pictures. That’s when she realized she needed something a little better than the camera she had, so she talked it over with her husband and bought a Nikon D500 camera. As her abilities improved, she upgraded her equipment from a Nikon ZII to the Nikon ZIII, which she currently uses.
Before long, the local news outlet heard about her talents and recruited her to serve as a correspondent for The Elk Valley Times, covering sports at Lincoln County Middle Schools, Riverside Christian Academy, and sometimes at Lincoln County High School as needed.
She credits Paul Henry, a 40-year veteran of photography, as being her mentor. Walker generously gives of her time and talent wherever she is needed. She has also contributed her photos to Good News Fayetteville.
As much as she enjoys covering sports, Walker said God and family were her top priorities. Thirty-seven years ago, Walker married her husband, Jeff, and followed him to Flintville. He works in the defense contractor field, and she is a teaching assistant at Flintville School. Though they are empty nesters now, they remain close to their four adult children and enjoy moments spent with their 10 grandchildren.
They are also actively involved with their church family at Stewart’s Chapel Baptist Church in Flintville. Walker said she has worked extensively with the children’s ministry there, including vacation Bible school and outreach activities. She and her husband also enjoy missions and are looking forward to a mission trip to East Tennessee this summer in addition to several other mission destinations. Of course, Walker also makes use of her photography skills in the church.
Though it seems Walker is constantly on the go, she makes time to relax at her favorite coffee shop, the Montana Coffee Company in Fayetteville. The shop is a town favorite with its cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and signature gourmet coffee. The business is owned by a pair of couples, Cory and Courtney Phelps, and Kaleob and Megan Ashley. The fact that Courtney and Megan are Jeff and Velva’s twin daughters makes her visits extra sweet.
Most people are familiar with the old saying, “A picture paints a thousand words.” However, for Walker, her pictures have painted thousands of memories, and for the most part, she will never know who she has blessed. Nowadays, most of her photos are posted on the school Facebook page for parents to access, so she may never know who sees them.
One thing she does know is that when she shows up with her camera, people know the “Flintville Flash” is in the house.
“I had no idea what God had in store for me,” she said. “Strangers come up to me and thank me. I don’t advertise. When people offer to pay, I ask them if I put a smile on their face. When they say, ‘Yes,’ I tell them, ‘A hug is all I need.’ That’s my payment.” GN
