Nansemond County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries......Walls, William J., 1917 

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WILLIAM JAMES WALLS 

DESPONDENT MAN ENDS HIS LIFE 

W. J. Walls Fires Bullet In His Breast At Home Of His Brother-In-Law 

  Suffolk, Feb. 24. - W.J. Walls, a well-known citizen of Nurneyville, 
Nansemond county, committed suicide yesterday afternoon at the home of his 
brother-in-law, Walter Duke, by shooting himself through the breast. 
Despondency, caused by continued ill health, is thought to have been the cause 
of the tragedy. 

  Mr. Walls had for some time been partially paralyzed, and was melancholy on 
account of his trouble. 

  On the day of his death, he told his brother-in-law that he wished to go to 
his room.  Mr. Duke went in his room, closed the blinds and made him 
comfortable. 

  While out in the farm yard, Mrs. Duke heard a shot and on investigation was 
horrified to find Mr. Walls had come out on a side porch and had shot himself 
through the breast, death following in a few minutes. 

  The deceased was fifty years old, and is survived by two brothers, John 
Walls, of Suffolk, R.F.D., and W.J. Walls, of Portsmouth, and a half-brother, 
Charles Walls, and a half-sister, Mrs. Ben Yager, of Sunbury, Penn. 

  The funeral services will be held at Liberty Spring Christian church Sunday 
afternoon at 3 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Dr. I.W. Johnson.  The interment 
will be made in Liberty Spring cemetery. 

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    FUNERAL OF W.J. WALLS 

  Suffolk, Feb. 25. - The funeral services of W.J. Walls, the Nansemond county 
citizen who took his own life Friday afternoon, were held at Liberty Spring 
Christian church this afternoon at 3 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Dr. I.W. 
Johnson, D.D.  The interment was made in Liberty Spring cemetery. 


William James WALLS, retired locomotive engineer, 
b. 14 Aug 1867*, Northumberland Co., PA, suicide 23 Feb 1917, at home, Nurneyville, 
interred in Liberty Spring Christian Church Cemetery*, 29 Sep 1912, 
"Virginian-Pilot & Norfolk (VA) Landmark," Vol. 57, No. 56, 
   Sun., Feb. 25, 1917, p. 15; 
"Virginian-Pilot & Norfolk (VA) Landmark," Vol. 57, No. 57, 
   Mon., Feb. 26, 1917, p. 7, 
   clipping posted with Find a Grave Memorial #96620050 [no grave photo], 
   by Christine Hubbard. 

*Additional information: 

His sister Sarah Elizabeth (WALLS; Mrs. J. Walter) DUKE (1864 - 1912) and 
   brother Martin WALLS, Jr. (1866 - 1924) are also buried there. 
   Liberty Spring list, an extension of the 
   Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/liberty.txt 

D.Cert. 4271 (Cypress #1) gives b. 1877 (over-written), d. age 40, widowed. 

The 1870 Census - Sunbury, Northumberland Co., PA - gives age 3. 

The 1880 Census - Holy Neck, Nansemond Co. - gives age 10. 

The lady who discovered his body was Rosa Frances (TURNER) DUKE was the 
   second wife of his brother-in-law Jas. Walter DUKE; they are also buried 
   at Liberty Spring. 

His ex-wife Lydia Endora "Dodie" (SAVAGE WALLS; Mrs. Dempsey) GOODMAN 
   is buried with their daughter Katie Maie (WALLS) REYNOLDS in 
   Cedar Hill Cemetery, Suffolk - Block A, Lot 36. 
   Cedar Hill list, another extension of the SCHS Cemetery Project: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/cedar_p.txt 

Her obit ("Virginian-Pilot," Aug. 13, 1911, p. 8) is posted at: 
   http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/g355e1ob.txt 

His mother, Annie J. (CASEY) WALLS (1844 - 1871), the first wife of Martin 
   WALLS, is buried in Old Saint Mary's Cemetery, Hollidaysburg, Blair Co., 
   PA. 


Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by 
File Manager Matt Harris (zoobug64@aol.com). 

file at: 
http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/w420w4ob.txt