Walker, Ervin – 1910-1955

CATHY, COOPER, HERWEHE, WALKER

Posted By: Diana Wagner
Date: 7/13/2021 at 21:35:28

Death Ends Fishing When
Ervin Walker Drowns In Canadian Waters
News reached here at 1 a.m. Monday morning that Ervin Walker, 45, had drowned when he fell from a boat during a fishing trip in Canada. That information came by telephone from Harold North, a member of the fishing party. Other members were Dean Vaught and R. H. Christian, all from Monroe.
The party was traveling to a fishing site on Lake Wabaskang near Paralt Falls, Ontario, Canada.
Mr. Vaught and Mr. North arrived back in Monroe at about 4 a.m. this morning to report details of the accident to the family.
Mr. Vaught states that the group left their camp in two boats, with North and Christian in one boat and Walker and himself and a guide in the other.
Vaught, Walker and the guide traveled ahead and had progressed about seven miles through a channel and had just reached the point where the channel enters a fair-sized lake when they began having motor trouble.
In short time, the second boat arrived and North and Christian offered assistance but by that time the motor had been repaired and North and Christian went on ahead while the other party moved out more slowly.
Vaught, Walker and the guide had traveled about a mile when their motor completely gave out. They then sent the guide with the small motor to the next rendezvous point, a mile and a half away where he was to get Christian’s motor and return. He came back in due time accompanied by Christian.
The group then set out in one boat, Christian, Vaught, Walker and the guide and had moved out about one mile when their boat unaccountably overturned.
Vaught and Christian, both of whom are able to swim, assisted the guide and Walker to the top of the overturned boat and proceeded to push the vessel toward the shore of an island.
All of the men had the pillow type capak life preservers. Walker and the guide had theirs with them on the boat and were instructed to hold on. In few moments, however, Walker slipped from the boat and sank out of sight before he could be helped.
Christian and Vaught continued to push the boat to the nearest island where they assisted the exhausted guide, 61 years old, to shore.
They were spotted about a half hour later by the guide’s son. Canadian authorities were notified and there began a search for the body which still continued when the two men left for home Wednesday.
Christian remained in the area.
Ervin Henry Walker frequently called “Jeff”, was well-known throughout this community and a wide surrounding area. He operated a trucking business until about 10 years ago when he joined the Whitted Implement staff as a mechanic and service man.
He also was a long-time member of the Monroe Volunteer fire department. He served as chief and in other capacities and was respected as one of the county’s ablest firemen.
He was born on a farm northwest of Monroe February 2, 1910, a son of Ella and John Walker and spent all of his life in and around Monroe. He attended rural school and was graduated from Monroe high school in 1926.
He was married March 4, 1935, to Freda Cooper, who survives him. He is also survived by a son, Bruce, employed by Whitted Implement company, by a daughter, Shirley, a Monroe high school senior, by his mother, three brothers and one sister. They are Mark and Forrest of Monroe, and Norman of Springfield, Ill., and Mrs. Harold Cathy of Newton. His father died two years ago. A sister also preceded him in death.
The family has recently suffered the loss also of Ervin’s grandmother, Mrs. Henry Herwehe, for whom he served as a pallbearer Friday only several hours before the group left for Canada.
Source: Monroe (IA) Mirror; Thursday, September 8, 1955, page 1

Ervin Walker Funeral To Be Today At Methodist Church
Funeral services for Ervin Walker who lost his life during a fishing trip in Canada last week, will be held this afternoon (Thursday) in the Monroe Methodist church at 2 p.m. The Rev. James Sloan will be in charge, with the Rev. Donald Brong assisting.
A short graveside service will be conducted at the Monroe cemetery by the Knights of Pythias.
Arrangements are by Crumpacker Funeral Home.
The area of a Canadian lake in which Walker had slipped from an overturned boat and disappeared had been searched for more than a week by dragging crews.
After word came that the body had been located, a group including Mayor Dean Vaught, who was with Walker at the time of his death, J. R. Crumpacker and Carl Crane left for Canada at 4 a.m. Monday morning they arrived home at 8:20 p.m. Tuesday night.
Source: Monroe (IA) Mirror; Thursday, September 15, 1955, page 1