William Walker's biography, Montcalm County, Michigan

Copyright © 2001 by W R Walker. This copy contributed for use in the 
MIGenWeb Archives.  
 
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GRIMSBY, CLINTON AND NORFOLK COUNTIES, ONTARIO, CANADA:
Around 1794, William Walker Sr., with his wife Sarah, nine of their
children, David and Elizabeth Palmer's family, and the widow Margaret
McCool's family came to Grimsby and Clinton Twps, Lincoln County, Ontario.
In his petition for land dated July 10, 1794, William states he was in the
army of Lord Cornwallis and that he has just arrived with his family, four
of which are men able to bear arms, from North Carolina. He further states
he has suffered everything but death by the American Revolution. He had
property in eight hundred acres of land taken from him and sold by the
rebels. William further pledges he faithfully adhered to the British
Government and can procure witnesses of his loyalty. He requested an
allotment of land adequate to his family and asked that his long travel,
nearly one thousand miles be considered.
On July 12, 1796, William states that he has received for himself and
family, consisting of a wife and nine children, twelve hundred acres, Grant
No. 139, and praying for additional lands at the Long Point Settlement. The
land granted to William Walker Sr. was located in Grimsby Township Lots 11,
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, Con VII. Later the map of Clinton Township, shows
William Walker Sr. had also received Lots 19 & 20, Con. B, F, and I on the
shore of Lake Ontario, where he and his family lived until his death in
1819. This land was at the end of "The Thirty Road", which at that time was
known as "The Harbour", a port of call for lakeboats for many years. 

William Walker Sr., a Loyalist from North Carolina, is credited with having been
Clinton Township's first settler. He was active in the social and business
life of both Clinton and Grimsby Townships. In 1804, William was recorded 
as one of five "Freeholders" to choose two representatives of the district to
run for members of the Assembly of Upper Canada and his name was on the
voters list of 1812, 1816, and on all subscription lists for the building 
of the first church in Grimsby township.

In 1796, the following of William's children were granted their own lots in
Townsend Twp., Norfolk Co., Ontario (Long Point Settlement) with their
families and had cleared over ten acres: Ralph Walker Lot 8 Con 7, Isaac
Walker Lot 8 Con 8, William Walker,Jr Lot 1 Con 9, and John Walker Lot 2 
Con 8.
In the years 1861 through 1890, several of the children of those named 
above moved their families to Kent, Montcalm, Ionia, and Saginaw Counties,
Michigan.

William Walker Jr and Margaret McCool's son John's family traveled to
Michigan to join their other son, William H. Walker, after John's death in
1851.
John Walker b.1829 Townsend Twp. d.1870 Townsend Twp. m.1851, Lorilda Smith
b.1834 E. Canada d.1904 Mcbride, MI. Lorilda 2nd m.1882 Wade Twp., Ionia
Co., MI, Melvin Huffman b.1858 d.1924 Greenville, MI.
**Melvin was the son of Jacob Huffman and Elizabeth Dean.
CEMETERY: McBride Cemetery, Montcalm Co., MI and Forest Home Cemetery
Montcalm County, MI. Huffman, Lorilda Smith, w/o Melvin, 25 Dec 1834-25 Sep
1904. Huffman, Melvin 1857-1924 sec 6
	Children are:
5. Adeline b.1853 Townsend Twp. d.1854
5. Sarah Sybol Walker b.1855 Townsend Twp. m.1875, Joseph Foster.
	Children are:
4. Nettie Foster b.1876
4. Ethyl Foster b.1880
4. Wallace Foster b.1882 d.1884
5. William Baty Walker b.1857 Townsend Twp. d.1932 McBride, MI 1st m.1884
Branch Co., MI, Catherine "Kate" Toner b.1868 d.1923 McBride, MI. William
2nd m.1924, Etta "Nettie" Williams b.1870 Canada d.1941 Stanton, MI, no
issue. Etta Williams 1st m. Richard Towne of Canada.
**Catherine was the daughter of Patrick Toner and Mary McGregor from 
Ireland to Canada.

William Baty Walker arrived in the US in 1884, having sailed from Windsor,
Canada. He filed a Declaration of Intent for Naturalization in Branch Co.,
MI on Oct. 30, 1886. On the 1910 Census for Day Twp., Montcalm Co., MI.,
Mary (McGregor/Toner) Jones, Catherine's mother, b.1827 Ireland d.1910
Stanton, MI, lived with them.

CEMETERY: McBride Cemetery, Day Twp., Montcalm Co., MI
Walker, Catherine bur record 4 May 1923 ae 54 yrs
Walker, William bur record 18 Jun 1932 ae 75 yrs

OBITUARY: Nettie (Williams) Walker, 70, Dies Here Tuesday. Funeral services
for Mrs. Etta "Nettie" Walker, 70, who died at the home of Mr. and Mrs 
Henry Dale in this city Tuesday forenoon, were held from the Strouse Funeral Home
here Thursday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Rev. W.E. Ragan officiated. Interment
was made at Entrican cemetery. Mrs. Walker, who had been ill for a long
time, was born in Canada on 9-3-1871. She married Richard Towne, who
proceeded her in death and later married William Baty Walker of Hemmingway
Lake in 1924. William Baty Walker died in 1932. Etta had no immediate
relatives other than four step-children, nieces, nephews, cousins and a 
host of friends.
	Children are:
4. Bertha L. Walker b.1885 m.1902 MI, Charles W. White b.1854 d.1934.
	Children are:
3. Illabelle White b.1904
3. Marguarite White b.1905 m. Morrie Meredith.
3. Louis B. White b.1907 m. Mabel (unknown).
3. Helen J. White b.1908 d.1926.
3. Dale White b.1915
3. Mary Leola White b.1917

4. Warren Alton Walker b.1887 Stanton, MI d.1937 Mcbride, MI m.1909, Lavona
(Ruperd) Reed b.1891 d.1934 McBride, MI.
According to family lore, Lavona was adopted by the Reed family, no records
found.
CEMETERY: McBride Cemetery, Day Twp., Montcalm Co., MI
Walker, Lavona bur record 9 Jun 1930 ae 38 yrs
Walker, Warren bur record 26 Mar 1937 ae 49 yrs
	Children are:
3. Mary Marguerite Walker b.1911 m. (Unknown) Ryan.
	Children are:
2.Three children, all living.
3. William A. Walker b. Stanton, MI.
3. Warren Reed Walker I b.1919 Stanton, MI d.1987 Cedar Springs, MI m.1944,
Wilda Mae Tompkins b.1925 d.2001 Mount Pleasant, MI.
**Wilda is the daughter of Harry Ray Tompkins and Hannah Adella Bates.
	Children are:
2. Six children, all living.
3. Rex Walker b.1920 Stanton, MI. d.1973 m. Eleanore Hamilim b.1921 d.1987.
	Children are:
2. Pat Walker
2. Mary Walker m. (unknown) Carpenter.
2. Louise Walker m. (unknown) Campbell.
3. Maxine Walker b. Stanton, MI. 1st m. Ray Wagner. Maxine 2nd m. (unknown).

4. Mary Iva Walker b.1890 d.1957 Stanton, MI 1st m.1907, A. Poumode b.1886
d.1916 Stanton, MI. Mary 2nd m.1917, Jason Abbey b.1889 d.1956 Stanton, MI.
	Children of Mary Iva and Jason are:
3. Ruth Charlotte Abbey b.1918 d.1920.
CEMETERY: McBride Cemetery, Day Twp., Montcalm Co., MI
Abbey, Ruth Charlotte, burial recorded d.4 Oct 1920 ae 2 yrs

3. Geraldine Abbey b.1922 d.1980 m. George Grams.
	Children are:
2. Three children, all living.
3. Donna Abbey b.1926
4. Marguarite E. Walker b.1893 d.1918 m.1907, Earl O'Donnell.
	Children are:
3. William D. O'Donnell b.1913 m. Anna Favana.
3. Katherine E. O'Donnell b.1915 m. (unknown) Fisher.
3. Earl O'Donnell Jr b.1917
4. William J. Walker b.1896 Stanton, MI d.1956 Saginaw, MI 1st m.1915, 
Venna Essex. William 2nd m. Elaine Surian.

William, after selling the family farm on Hemingway Lake, was a barber in
Saginaw, MI. In the obit for William J. Walker in the Stanton newspaper for
his death in Saginaw, MI, there was no mention of his wives so it is 
assumed they died before him.
	Children are:
3. Arnold J. Walker b.1916 d.1916
CEMETERY: McBride Cemetery, Day Twp., Montcalm Co., MI
Walker, Arnold J. burial recorded 15 Aug 1916

5. Maryann Walker b.1860 Townsend Twp. d.1882 m.1879, Melvin Huffman b.1858
d.1924 Greenville, MI.
**Melvin was the son of Jacob Huffman and Elizabeth Dean.
	Children are:
4. William Huffman b.1880 d.1882
5. Ellen A.J. "Nell" Walker b.1862 Townsend Twp. d.1943 McBride, MI m.1880
Wade Twp., Ionia Co., MI, Franklin Pierce Boyer b.1853 d.1938 McBride, MI.
**Franklin was the son of Chauncey or John Boyer and Susan Witt.
CEMETERY: McBride Cemetery, Day Twp., Montcalm Co., MI
Boyer, Franklin Pierce Boyer 1853-1938 burial recorded 22 Feb
Boyer, Ellen "Nell" (Walker) 1863-1943 burial recorded says Ellen, 29 Jul
	Children are:
4. Erva Boyer b.1881
5. Margaret Adeline Walker b.1865 Townsend Twp. d.1894 m.1883, Elmore B.
Harrington b.1861 Hillsdale Co., MI d.1910 Day Twp. Elmore 2nd m.aft.1894,
Alvira F. Matice.
**Elmore was the son of John Doty Harrington and either Ellen Charlotte
Sickler or Martha A. Smith.
CEMETERY: Palmer Cemetery Day Township, Montcalm County, Michigan
Harrington, Elmore B. 1861-1910
	Children are:
4. Honor Luevern Harrington
4. John E. Harrington
4. Mary Harrington d.1893
4. Clara Harrington
4. Don Harrington
4. Leo Harrington

5. John B. Walker b.1867 Townsend Twp. d.1928 McBride, MI m.1892, Ellen
"Viola" Harrington b.1875 d.1938. Ellen 2nd m.aft.1928, Frank W. Reynolds
b.1875.
CEMETERY: McBride Cemetery, Day Twp., Montcalm Co., MI
Walker, John B. burial recorded with no dates says age 58 yrs
**Ellen was the daughter of John Doty Harrington and either Ellen Charlotte
Sickler or Martha A. Smith.
	Children are:
4. Clyde Walker b.1893
4. Ella Walker b.1894 m. (unknown) Muscatle.
4. Grace Walker b.1895 m. (unknown) Ferguson.
6. Sarah Walker b.1831 Townsend Twp. m. (unknown) Donnelly.

ke Aug 2003