George Walker

WALKER

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 4/12/2010 at 12:29:02

George Walker is now living retired in a pleasant home at No 714 Fifth street in Boone but in former years was closely and prominently connected with agricultural activity in Boone county. He has passed the seventy-seventh milestone on life's journey, his birth having occurred near Edinburgh, Scotland, on Feruary 10, 1837. His forefathers had there resided for generations and were salt makers, many representatives of the name residing at Muselburgh and Inverness. The paternal grandparents, George and Isabelle (Juere) Walker, and the parents, James and Margaret (Gregg) Walker, all died in Scotland. The mother of George Walker came of a family noted for longevity and she reached the remarkable old age of ninety-seven years. Her children were: Isabelle, who became the wife of Robert Grundy and died in Scotland, Jane who married Angus McMillan and died in Scotland, George of this review, Janet who became the wife of David Howie and died in Scotland, James who passed away in the same country, Alison, who married Cornelius Yourston, who for thirty-nine years was sealer of weights and measures in Edinburgh, Helen now living in Scotland and Margaret who became the wife of John Blythe and died in Boone.
George Walker attended the home schools of Cockenuzie, pursuing his sutdies there until he reached the age of twelve years, when he began work in the salt and coal mines. The village was located on the coast and vessles would stop there to coal. Mr Walker and others boys would haul coal and salt to the ships. At seventeen years of age he left home and went to Lanarkshire, near Glasgow, where he was emplyed in the coal mines for four years. He then returned home and worked in that locality for a time. He next went to Midlothian, the region made famous by Sir Walter Scott's romantic and pathetic story of The Heart of Midlothian. In 1868 he sailed for the United States as a passenger on the steamship Hibernia and landed at New York on July 4. He made the voyage alone, leaving his wife and three children in Scotland until he could prepare a home for them in the new world.
Mr Walker made his way to Sharon, Pennsylvania, where he began work in the mines. He there continued until 1874 and in the meantime was joined by his wife and children. In the year mentioned he traveled westward to Rock Springs, Wyoming, where he spent a part of three years. On the expiration of that period he settled in Marcy township, Boone county, Iowa, where he purchased 80 cares of land and followed farming until about 1910. He added to his property, becoming owner of 150 acres which he still owns and upon which he erected a new house and also built a substantial barn and other outbuildings for the shelter of grain and stock. Year by year he carefully tilled his fields and his labors brought good harvests. At length with a comfortable competence acquired form his well directed efforts, he retired from business life and established his home in Boone, where he now resides.
It was in Scotland on January 16, 1864, that Mr Walker was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Grundy, of that land, a daughter of Robert and Agnes (Wishart) Grundy, in whose family were eleven children. Unto Mr and Mrs Walker have been born twelve chilren Agnes, now the wife of Francis Muck of Minnesota, Margaret who was graduated at Independence, Iowa and is now a trained nurse, Euphemia who died in infancy, James C who married Minnie Linerod and is a practicing physician in Boone, Robert and George who have passed away, Walter who married Carrie Counter and is living in Sioux City, Iowa, Robina the wife of John Peacock of Boone, Isabelle the wife of John Wright of Boone, John living in Minnesota, Allie who married John B Donaldson, of Minnesota, and William who married Clara Steward and resides upon the home farm.
The parents are members of the Baptist church in the work of which they have taken active and helpful interest, Mr Walker, serving as one of the deacons for many years. His political allegaince is given to the republican party and he is a stalwart advocte of its principles. He has never had occasion to regret his determination to come to the new world. His youth was a period of earnest and unremitting toil in his native land and, believing that he might have better opportunities on this side of the Atlantic, he came to the United States. Nor has he been disappointed in his hopes. Gradually he has worked his way upward here, finding that in America "labor is king." His business enterprise, his unfaultering diligence and his honorable dealing have been the salient features in his growing success, making him at length one of the substantial residents of Boone county.

1914 Boone County History Book