Withrow - Walter Family

WITHROW, WALTER, HUTCHISON, HUTCHINSON, WALTERS, SPACK, SPACH, HOUDENSHIELD, HONDENSHIELD, JOHNSON

Posted By: Bruce L. Pearson (email)
Date: 5/16/2013 at 19:51:28

Withrow-Walter Families

Sometime in the 1970's, Mrs. Louise E. Enger wrote the following informal genealogy of her family tree and gave it to her cousin, Robert William Pearson. At the time, Mrs. Enger was living at 1917 S. Chestnut Ave., Fresno, Calif. Unfortunately, she provided no sourcing to this information.

James Ross Withrow, Mrs. Enger's grandfather, was born on 8 October 1830 in Holmes County, Ohio. He died on 7 January 1895 in Appanoose County, Iowa. He had one sister, Letitia Withrow, and three brothers: Slence, Barton and Charles Withrow.

James Ross Withrow married Rebecca Ann Hutchison on 29 December 1852 (place not indicated). Rebecca was born on 10 March 1835 in Holmes County, Ohio, and died on 31 October 1925 in Appanoose County, Iowa.

James and Rebecca Withrow had the following children:

Charles Hugh Barton, born on 11 June 1854 and died on 6 June 1859;

William Armstrong, born on 25 July 1856 and died in August 1947;

Diora, born on 17 August 1858 and died in 1946; see below;

James Daniel, born on 2 November 1860 and died on 14 January 1939;

Nicholas Arnold, born on 8 January 1864 and died in August 1939;
• Louisa Letitia, born on 19 January 1866; married a man whose surname was Walter; died on 23 May 1934; see below;
• John Belle, born on 3 February 1870; died on 14 April 1961;
• Elijah Johnson, born on 3 December 1871, died on 25 July 1899;
• Bee Caldwell, born on 3 March 1874, died on 11 September 1932; (note: per Jay Dixon, Bee Caldwell Withrow was a man). and
• Ernest Everett, born on 14 September 1877, died on 16 October 1966.
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• Note: Mrs. Enger did not indicate places of birth or death, except for her grandparents, James and Rebecca Withrow, nor did she provide any additional information.
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• In June 2009, Bruce L. Pearson, the son of Robert William Pearson, visited Appanoose County, Iowa. He learned the following additional information.
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• one Louisa L. Walter, age 40, residing in Dean, Iowa, was listed as the "wife of dec. son" and an heir in the probate record pertaining to Barbara Walter, deceased widow of John Walter, filed in Appanoose County on 10 December 1907. This deceased son was almost certainly Edward C. Walter (see below), who died on 2 October 1901.
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• one "Dora L. Walter", age age 19, residing in Dean, Iowa, was listed in the same probate record as a granddaughter and heir of Barbara Walter. Note:
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• According to the death records of Appanoose County, Dora (not Diora) Walter, the widow of William Walter, was born on 17 August 1858 in Appanoose County, the daughter of Ross Withrow and Rebecca Ann Hutchinson (not Hutchison). Dora had resided at 1010 W. Washington, Centerville, Iowa. She died on 28 December 1946 in Centerville, Iowa, aged 88 years, four months, 11 days, and was buried at Zoar Cemetery, near Exline, Iowa. However, we know from information provided by Jay Dixon of Lisbon, Iowa, that the true name of William Walter's widow was actually Diora, not Dora. Dixon is the grandson of William and Diora.
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• Moreover, according to the Appanoose County birth records, on 12 July 1888, a baby girl (unnamed) was born to William Walter, born in New York, occupation: farmer, and his wife, Dora Withrow, born in Iowa; this baby may have been the Dora L. Walter listed as a granddaughter and heir of Barbara Walter. She would have been 19 years old in 1907.
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• The Appanoose County birth records list another daughter (unnamed) of William Walter and Diora Walters (note spellings) as having been born on 20 May 1881 in Caldwell, Iowa. The father, William Walter, was born in New York and was a farmer; the mother, Dora Withrow, was born in Iowa.

The Appanoose County death records list that William Walters (note misspelling), born on 22 January 1852 in New York, the son of John Walters (note misspelling), born in Germany, and a mother (unnamed), born in Germany, died in Appanoose County on 3 January 1934, aged 81 years, 11 months, 11 days. William was buried in Zoar Cemetery.

The Appanoose County death records also list Barbra (sic) Walter, born on 6 March 1821 in Germany, the daughter of John Spack (or Spach) and Mary Houdenshield (or Hondenshield), died of pneumonia on 20 October 1907 in Exline, Iowa, at the age of 86 years, seven months, 14 days. She was a widow and resided in Exline at the time of death and was buried in the Exline (Zoar) Cemetery. The informant for the death certificate was Ida E. Withrow.

Bruce Pearson visited the Zoar Cemetery and found the following graves:

J. Ross Withrow, 1829-1895;

Rebecca A. Withrow, 1835-1925;

William Walter, 1852-1934;

Diora Walter, 1858-1946;

Louisa L. Walter, 19 January 1866 - 2 May 1934;

E.C. Walter, died 2 October 1901, aged 36 years, seven months, five days; Note: it is believed that this individual is Edward C. Walter, the husband of Louisa L. Walter, nee: Withrow. According to the Appanoose County death records, Edward C. Walter, born in Caldwell Township, Appanoose County, age 36, a farmer, married, died on 2 October 1901 and was buried at Zoar Cemetery.

Lawerence (sic) E. Walter, 1900-1924; note: according to the Appanoose County death records, Lawrence E. Walters (sic), born 17 January 1900 in Caldwell Township, the son of Edward C. Walter and Louisa L. Withrow, died on 8 February 1924; Lawrence was not married;

Mary V. Withrow, born 6 January 1890; died 24 January 1995 (note she was 105 years old);

William A. Withrow, born 1856, died 1947; (note: probably the William Armstrong Withrow in Mrs. Enger's list);

Mary A. Withrow, born 1855, died 1898; (note: probably William A. Withrow's wife);

Clarence A. Withrow, born 27 November 1883; date of death not indicated;

Josie M. Withrow, wife of Clarence; born on 22 October 1886, died 23 May 1911;

John Walter, died 12 July 1902, aged 81 years, nine days;

Barbara Walter, wife of John; born 6 March 1821; died 20 October 1907;

Edna Walter Worley, born 29 December 1902; died 22 March 1926;

Marvin E. Walter, born 24 March 1922; and Eva M. Walter, born 8 July 1923; died 10 September 1979. Note: Marvin may possibly still be alive, i.e., the tombstone and grave may have been reserved for him at the time his wife died. The Centerville (Iowa) telephone book for 2009 lists a Marvin and Sharon Walter residing at 920 N. Haynes, Centerville, phone 437-7382.

Virgil W. Walter, born 16 September 1895; Private, U.S. Army, World War I; died 10 February 1991; Ruth Walter, born 30 October 1901, died 2 March 1988; and an infant, William E. Walter, died in 1927. According to the Appanoose County death certificates, Virgil William Walter was born on 16 September 1895 in Dean, Iowa, the son of Edward C. Walter and Louisa L. Withrow. William Walters (note misspelling) was stillborn on 21 June 1927, the son of "Virgle (sic) Walters (sic)" and (fnu) Johnson. Thus Ruth Walter's maiden name was probably Johnson.

Bruce L. Pearson is the great-great grandson of John and Barbara Walter. He would welcome contact from anyone interested in the Withrow and/or Walter families. He can be reached via e-mail at blpearson@zianet.com, by phone at 575-527-4641 or by mail at P.O. Box 877, Mesilla Park, NM 88047.