Walpole, Horace “Wally,” 1907-1938

WALPOLE, DOHERTY

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:37

From the Rock Valley Bee, October 28, 1938:

HORACE WALPOLE, FORMER ROCK VALLEY BOY, CALLED

Horace Walpole, son of Mrs. Mary Walpole, of Rock Valley, passed away Sunday morning in a hospital in Iowa City following a lingering illness.

Born at Rock Valley January 24, 1907, he grew to young manhood here. He attended the local public school and was very active in athletics. He later attended Iowa State College at Ames for one year, and the University of Iowa for three years. While at the University of Iowa, he became affiliated with the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity. He majored in Commerce while at the University and after graduation he accepted a position with the Goodrich Tire Company as budget manager in Galesburg, Illinois.

During his summer vacation he worked on the Union Pacific as head steward, and out at Yellowstone National Park as jitney driver. Horace was a young man who was well thought of and who made friends of all whom he met, and untimely death is very much regretted.

He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Mary Walpole of Rock Valley, and three sisters, Mrs. Fred Hambrecht, Galesburg, Illinois; Mrs. Louis Ruppert, of Chicago; and Mrs. Larry Arnott, of Elkhart, Indiana.

Funeral services were held Wednesday morning at 9:30 o’clock from St. Mary’s Church in Rock Valley. The pallbearers were Sam Dahl, Henry Ver Meulen, Bernard Splear, James Walpole, and Bernard Doherty and Donald Doherty. The bereaved mother and sisters and other relatives have the sincere sympathy of many friends in their sorrow.

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From the Sioux County Capital, October 27, 1938:

OBITUARIES – Horace Walpole

Horace Walpole, who was a resident of Rock Valley for many years, passed away at the Oakdale sanitarium on Saturday, Oct. 22, following a lingering illness of tuberculosis. He was 31.

Horace Walpole was born in Rock Valley, Ia. on January 11, 1907. He grew to manhood here. He attended the Rock Valley public schools and later Rock Valley High school. He was graduated with the class of 1925. Mr. Walpole attended the Iowa State College at Ames one year. He was a graduate of the University of Iowa Commerce school. Following his graduation he held a responsible position in Chicago for a few years. He became ill soon after that and it was necessary for him to give up his work and enter the sanitarium for treatment. He was soon able to leave the sanitarium but after some time he was forced to return to it and has never been able to leave it.

Mr. Walpole is survived by his mother, Mrs. Mary Walpole, and three sisters, who are Ellen, Mrs. Frederick Hambrecht of Galesburg, Ill.; Florence, Mrs. Lewis Ruppert of Chicago, Ill.; and Loretta, Mrs. Laurence Arnolt of Elkhart, Ind. His father John Walpole passed away in Rock Valley in November, 1922.

Funeral services for Mr. Walpole were held on Wednesday morning, Oct. 26 at St. Mary’s Catholic church in Rock Valley. Rev. Father J. A. Foerster was in charge. Interment was made in the Catholic cemetery.

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RESEARCH NOTES

Briefer obituaries in the Rock Valley news sections of the Alton Democrat (Oct. 28) and the Sioux Center News (Oct. 27) add that in high school he was a star player in football, basketball, baseball and track.

His FindaGrave.com page gives his name as Horace “Wally” Walpole, birth date 24 Jan 1907, death date 23 Oct 1938. Parents John Walpole (1857-1921) and Mary Doherty Walpole (1879-1951). There is a fuzzy photo of him (looks like a newspaper print), and a photo of his headstone.

His death certificate gives his full name as Horace V. Walpole; birth date Jan. 24, 1907; parents John Walpole, born in Pennsylvania, and Mary Doherty, born in Iowa; occupation accountant; died at the Iowa State Sanatorium in Oakdale, Johnson County, Iowa, where he had been a resident for 1 year, 1 month and 15 days, at 11:10 a.m. Oct. 23, 1938, of pulmonary tuberculosis.