William J. Walker

WALKER, BERRY, LYONS, MITCHELL, ROW

Posted By: Marthann Kohl-Fuhs (email)
Date: 5/18/2009 at 13:41:24

1889 BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY OF
SHELBY AND AUDUBON COUNTIES, IOWA
W. S. DUNBAR & CO., PUBLISHERS
113 ADAMS STREET, CHICAGO

pages 768-769

WILLIAM J. WALKER, an active
farmer of Hamlin Township, was
born in Pike County, Missouri, Sep-
tember 21, 1834. He is a son of Thomas B.
and Polly (Berry) Walker. The father was
born in Virginia, but was reared in the State
of South Carolina; the mother was a native of
Missouri, and died when William J. was three
years old. Thomas Walker was again mar-
ned, to Susan E. Lyons, of Clinton County,
Iowa, and resided in Iowa until his seventy-
fifth year, when he removed to southwestern
Nebraska; he died there October 19, 1888, in
his seventy-ninth year. He had three chil-
dren by his first marriage and eight by the
last. William J. Walker passed his boyhood
and school days in Clinton County. He re-
ceived the educational -advantages of the dis-
trict school, which were somewhat meager.
He remained with his parents until his nine-
teenth year, when he was married to Matilda
H. Mitchell, of Clinton County, Iowa. Mrs.
Walker was born in Adrian, Michigan, and
is the daughter of Charles M. and Elizabeth
(Row) Mitchell; she came to Iowa with her
parents when a child of eight years. After
his marriage Mr. Walker settled on a farm in
Clinton County, and resided there until 1877,
when he removed to Audubon County, and
located on his present farm in Hamlin Town-
ship. The place contains eighty acres of
excellent land, and he has made many valua-
ble improvements. Four children have been
born to Mr. and Mrs. Walker -- Oscar E., in
business in Omaha; Edward W., a farmer;
Perry H. and Wilber L., both at home. Mr.
Walker spent two years in Dakota, and im-
proved a homestead there, but on account of
the severe winters returned to Iowa.