Walter James Oliver

OLIVER

Posted By: County Coordinator (email)
Date: 5/10/2010 at 10:43:10

Walter James Oliver owns and occupies an attractive home at No 307 West Fourth street, where he has resided for the past seven years. He is now living retired, enjoying a well earned rest, the fruits of his former toil supplying him with all of the comforts and some of the luxuries of life. He first came to Iowa in 1876 and has since lived in this state, save for a period of five years.
Mr Oliver was born in Sussex, England, in 1851 and in 1854 was brought to America by his grandparents, having been left an orphan in his infancy by the death of his parents, Thomas and Rachel (Butcher) Oliver. His grandfather Joel Oliver, was a brick maker in England and after coming to the new world followed the same pursuit in Griggsville, Pike county, Illinois, where he was closely identified with industrial activity for many years. He died there at the very advance age of ninety-six years, and his wife survived to the age of Ninety-eight. It will thus be seen that Walter James Oliver comes form a family noted for longevity. He is an only child and was reared by his grandparents. Passing through consecutive grades in the public schools, he eventually reached the high school and afterward attended the Gem City Business College at Quincy, Illinois. From early youth he was more or less familiarity with the trade of brick making, in which his grandfather engaged, and eventually he became foreman in a brick making plant, continuing in that line of business until he came to Iowa I 1876. In that year he settled upon a farm in Taylor county, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits for twenty-two years. In 1898, however, he removed to Nodaway county, Missouri, where he purchased land and followed farming and stock breeding near Guilford for five years. ON the expiration of that period he came to Boone, where he has now lived for the past decade. Here he is engaged in the raising of fancy chickens and rabbits and thus his time is occupied, for indolence and idleness are utterly foreign to his native and he could not content himself without some interests and activities. He also give supervision to three farm is Dodge township, Boone county, and also to a farm property in Greene county.
Mr Oliver was married in Pana, Christan county, Illinois, to Miss Mary A Powell, a native of Sussex, England, who died in Iowa in 1893, leaving three sons and two daughters, all of who are yet living, are married and have connected with agricultural interests. One daughter is now in Taylor county, near Lennox, and the three sons are in Nodaway county, Missouri. For his second wife Mr Oliver chose Mrs Charlotte Swigert, nee Bibler, and their marriage was celebrated Boone. Mrs Oliver was born in Crawford county, Ohio, in October 1852, and was one of ha family of nine children. Two of her brothers are now residents of Hamilton county, Iowa, Her parents, David and Rachel (Eichelberger) Bibler, were natives of Ohio and spent four years in Illinois, near Peoria. They afterward went to Hamilton county, Iowa in 1858, settling near Webster City, where they made there home until late in life. The father always followed farming and was quite successful, capably managing his business affairs so that substantial results were achieved. He died in Don Palos, California, at the age of seventy-nine years, his birth having occurred 1818 and his wife, afterward returning to Ohio, passed away in that state in 1900, also at the age of seventy-nine. They were Methodists in religious faith and were earnest Christian people.
Their daughter Charlotte was married in 1880 to Anderson Swigert, who was born in Ohio and came to Boone county in 1858. He resided in Dodge township, where he engaged in blacksmithing, and he also was a cattle buyer at Ridgeport. He firs married Miss Mary Magdaline Winklepleck, also of Ohio, in which state the wedding was celebrated, and she passed away in Ridgeport, leaving five children, of whom four are yet living. The death of Anderson Swigert occurred in 1896 when he had reached the age of seventy-three yeas. By his marriage to Charlotte Bibler there were born five children, of whom four yet survive, the eldest daughter now a resident of Kenosha, Wisconsin, while three of the family are in Boone county. Mrs Oliver gave to each of her children a farm, and all are now successful. Mrs Oliver has eight grandchildren, while Mr Oliver has twelve grandchildren.
In his political view, Mr Oliver is a stalwart republican and regards it the duty, as well as the privilege, of every true American citizen to support his views upon public questions I the exercise of his right of franchise. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1906 he erected an attractive residence at No 307 West Fourth street, where they are now most pleasantly located. They have many friends in this county and sterling traits of character have gained them warm regard among all with whom they have been brought in contact.

1914 Boone County History Book