Los Angeles County CA Archives Biographies.....Mundell, Walter 1842 - 
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Author: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908)

    WALTER MUNDELL, P. M. of Sawtelle, is a native of Scotland and was born in
Ross-shire, within three miles of Lands End, September 4th, 1842. His father was
Robert Mundell, a shepherd by occupation and a son of David Mundell, who was by
trade a cabinet maker. He was a prominent Free Mason and received his third
degree in that order from Robert Burns, the great Scotch poet, who was then
master of Kelwinning Lodge No. 1. David Mundell and Robert Burns were strong
personal friends. There is now in possession of David Mundell, an older son, the
first copy of the first edition of Robert Burns' works, presented to David
Mundell by the author. David Mundell at the time lived in Dumfriesshire, where
Burns was government excise officer. Walter Mundell was about fourteen years of
age when the family left their native heath and came to America. They located in
Pickaway county, Ohio, on a farm where the parents lived until the close of
their earthly career. Besides Walter, there are two sons living, David and
James, the former at the old home and the latter in Wilson county, Kansas. In
August, 1862, Mr. Mundell, with his brother, James, enlisted in the Civil War
and were mustered into Company A, 114th Ohio Infantry, under Captain John Lynch.
They served under Grant at the siege of Vicksburg, where the subject of this
sketch was wounded in both arms and taken to the army hospital at New Orleans.
While there he was nursed by Mrs. Lizzie Southworth. A warm friendship ripened
into mutual love and, when he had sufficiently recovered from his wounds, they
were married September 20th, 1864. They made a wedding journey to the Ohio home,
where the wife remained while the husband returned to his regiment at the front
to complete his term of enlistment.

    Mrs. Mundell is a daughter of James Ince and was born in England, Chorley,
Lancashire. Her father was a wholesale merchant. She grew up at her native home
and there married George Southworth, who was by trade a painter and glazier.
They came to America in the year 1859 and located at Lancaster, Dallas county,
Texas. Upon the breaking out of the Civil War, Mr. Southworth was conscripted
into the Confederate army. He determined not to fight against the Union and
crossed the Rio Grande into Mexico, where he was taken sick and died in the
vicinity of Monterey. The stricken widow and only son, John, took the remains to
Monterey, where the interment took place and she proceeded to return to England.
Upon reaching Brownsville, she met General Herron, who induced her to take up
army nursing. The battle of Brownsville soon took place and she accepted the
offered position of nurse. She went down the Rio Grande river, crossed the gulf
as nurse in charge of the hospital boat and landed at New Orleans, where she
continued her work.

    The Mundell brothers both filled out their terms of enlistment and were
mustered out of service in August, 1865, having served three years. Mr. Mundell,
after the war, returned home and followed his trade, which was that of a
millwright, and also that of stationary engineer. He came with his family to
California and in 1887 located in Los Angeles, purchased a home and for a time
lived in retirement. Later he was for about eight years in the employ of the
street department and latterly four and a half years the park commissioner of
the city. He located in Sawtelle in the fall of 1904, and in 1906 was appointed
postmaster of that city by President Roosevelt. Mr. and Mrs. Mundell have one
son, Robert, who is engaged in the lumber business at Oberlin, Kansas, and a
daughter. Myrtle, who is assistant postmaster at Sawtelle. Mrs. Mundell has, by
her former marriage, one son, John Southworth, who is proprietor of the
Southworth apartments on Kinney street, Ocean Park. Mr. Mundell has always been
an active republican and, while never seeking office, has repeatedly attended
the party conventions as delegate from his home district or precinct. He is a
member of the F. and A. M.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Ingersoll's century history, Santa Monica Bay cities: prefaced with a brief
history of the state of California, a condensed history of Los Angeles County,
1542 to 1908: supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography and
embellished with views of historic landmarks and portraits of representative
people.

Los Angeles: Luther A. Ingersoll (1908)


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