Walter Shriner's 100th Birthday

SHRINER, DAVIDSON, SIVRER, CAMACK

Posted By: A.M.W. (email)
Date: 8/25/2006 at 21:33:30

Mt. Pleasant News – January 7, 1949

SALEM RESIDENT CELEBRATES 100TH BIRTHDAY

Walter T. Shriner of Salem is 100 years old today. The even was celebrated at the Shriner home in Salem. Friends and relatives were on hand for the event. In spite of his age, Mr. Shriner is still very active. He operates his 326 acre stock farm located 3 ½ miles northeast of Salem, has a driver’s license, and goes where he pleases in his 1923 model Studebaker. Mr. Shriner is still able to read the newspaper without the aid of glasses and is seen frequently on the streets of Salem.

He was born January 7, 1849. That same year his father, Theodore Shriner, built a house in Salem. Since that time, with the exception of eight years spent in Chicago, from 1865 to 1873, Mr. Shriner has lived in this same house. It is located on the north side of the square in Salem.

When the Civil War broke ou, Mr. Shriner was 11 years old and at the outbreak of the Spanish-American War he was 49 years old.

In 1877 he married Clara R___, now 93 years old. They observed their 71st wedding anniversary last November. Mrs. Shriner still does part of her own housework. Four children were born to the Shriners. One daughter, Mrs. Ray Davidson, lives at Salem. Three sons have all passed away. Mr. Shriner’s grandfather, Thomas Sivrer, was the first president of the Iowa Medical Association.

Mr. Shriner has many interesting stories to tell of his experiences. One he recalls very vividly was the time he and Levi Camack drove a herd of over 300 head of cattle from Salem to Chicago. He said they crossed the Mississippi at Burlington and it took them from 4 o’clock in the morning to 9 c’clock in the evening to get the entire herd across.

Asked when he retired, Mr. Shriner remarked very emphatically that he had not and does not intend to retire.