Some Walker-Burkhardt Potpourri

      This is a small assortment of items I've come across lately in my searches on newspapers.com.

      Edward Walker died in February of 1911 and I was able to find an obituary for him. The obituary says that the family requested no flowers at the behest of the deceased, but I'm not sure why as the photos of the house seemed to show flowers.

Edward Walker obituary-February 9, 1911

The Walker twins are born

     But the obituary did send me on a search in the Council Grove Republic to see if I could find a notice or something about the Walker family moving to Topeka. I didn't find that, but I did find this blurb about the Walker twins.Their father's name is wrong, but it seems highly unlikely there was another set of Walker twins born near Dwight in the same week as the Walker girls. As is often the case, the story is related from the father's point of view with no mention of Betsy who had with the birth of the twins given birth to eight children or the sex of the babies.

     I've included the link to the page because reading these newspapers from 1888 are fascinating. In this case there's a remarkable story about a runaway horse. To quote: The horse seemed to become perfectly frantic, and

Helen Louise_1921

run about the streets scattering dismay on all sides. But fortunately, no one was hurt. Then there are the railroad schedules - four different passenger trains served Council Grove on a daily basis, covering north, south, east and west.

    And now jumping ahead to 1921 is an article about Edna and EA's daughter, Helen, and her first birthday. Helen and Ada's son, Walker, were born on October 6, 1920 in Topeka so it was big news when they had their first birthday. Their cousin, Bernice, daughter of Ada and Edna's sister, Grace, was born in July of 1920, but was only an invited guest at the birthday party.

Helen and Walker's first birthday
Topeka Daily Capital, Oct 8, 1921

The Shop

     Last but maybe most interesting is this ad in the Capital announcing the opening of the Shop. For those of us who are grandchildren of EA and Edna, Gussie to us, knew what the Shop was. Unfortunately not many of us were old enough to know the Shop with EA in charge, but we knew what was meant when people said that.                                                                                                                      Mary Grace wrote about her dad:

     My father worked his way through school—both high school and college.  I think he threw the paper for the Topeka Daily Capital. His route was in North Topeka.  I remember him telling me how in 1903 when the Kansas (Kaw) River flooded that the only way to get to North Topeka to throw the paper was across a railroad bridge.  My mother said he used to go to sleep a lot in class.  . . One year he was ready to pay his tuition and two of his brothers got drunk and he had to pay his $50.00 tuition money to get them out of jail. 

 For a time after his marriage to Edna, EA worked for the Santa Fe Railroad as a fireman, but eventually he was offered a Willard Battery distributorship. And in 1921 with the help of three of his brothers-in-law, EA opened his shop. (This article ran after the shop had been opened for a year.) Edna's brother Percy, Ada's husband, Bill and Grace's husband, George, all were partners in the shop. Mary Grace said he paid everyone back, but he had a hard time convincing Bill, who eventually did allow him to pay him.

More England (Update)

     A couple of small corrections in the earlier post about Mary Cooke Walker. After receiving a copy of her will from a descendant of her daughter Margaret, I realized that her daughter Eliza probably had not died by 1897 as she's mentioned in Mary's will.

Mary Cooke Walker's will - 1898

    This small fact gets my imagination going - nunnery? -mental asylum? I really have no idea.

    Another error,obvious to me after a bit of research, is that Mary Walker had not lived at Russia Hall since sometime in the 1870's. She hadn't moved too far away as she was farming 65 acres near Milton Green. Mary is no longer listed on the census at Russia Hall after 1871. By the 1901 census, two of Mary's grandchildren had moved in with her. Below is a piece of a letter from Daisy Salmon, daughter of Sara Gray Walker Salmon.

Letter from Edward Walker's niece, Daisy Salmon ca 1900

     This is my attempt at transcribing Daisy's letter. Daisy's given name was Mary and from what I can tell Margaret or perhaps Mary is close to the French word for daisy.

The Cheshire Yeomanry have been camping out this . . . . They have had a very hot time of it. They went about the middle of harvest. I have not seen Aston since he has come back. I ask him all particulars about it. Now I think I have told you all the news that other all the other left out. With best love to all from Grandma, Charlie and myself. Your loving niece, Daisy Salmon

     A third error is that by the time of Mary's death, a third daughter, Louisa Goodwin nee Walker, had died in April 1903, about 18 months before her mother's death in 1904.

   

More England

The photos of Russia here will please you but it does seem as if I had seen nothing of you.

Mary Walker, August 1897 in a letter to Edward and Betsy

        

     Mary Walker, who turned 82 that summer, expressed her disappointment that Edward and Betsy had to cut short their trip because of Percy's illness. At this point in her life, Mary, who never lived more than 50 miles from where she was born, had seen two of her children leave the British Isles. Edward had made a prosperous life in Topeka, but his oldest sister and sibling, Mary, had perished abroad in the fall of 1874, Another daughter, Margaret, had died in 1888 and her second oldest child, Eliza, seems to also have died by this time.

     Mary Cooke Walker had been born in the summer of 1815 in Acton [Russia Hall is on Frog Ln] in Cheshire. When she married Thomas Bloor Walker in August of 1837, just weeks after her 23rd birthday, it was only about 8 miles from Acton. 

Russia Hall in 2009

        Of their eight children, all but the youngest, were born in Bradfield Green near Crewe as Thomas addressed his letter to Mary in 1846 when he was in London selling the cheese they'd made. For some reason their last child Sarah Gray Walker was born in Wales near Denbighshire, but even that was only about 35 miles from Mary's birthplace. Thomas died there in April of 1854 and Mary and her children by 1861 were living in Russia Hall where she lived until her death in 1904.

       When Edward and Betsy visited in 1897, she lived with her son, Thomas, and his family at Russia Hall, but her five surviving daughters all lived near by.

Thomas Walker - 1890s

      

Letter from Mary Walker
to Edward and Betsy
August 1897

My precious Children, Edward and Bessie –
Mr. Sharp is taking charge of this letter and wished me to say who sent the things. I send a pair of sheets, 1 pillow slip & 4 serviettes.
Julia sends a pair of sheets, 2 pillow slips and small salt cellars for Lilly. Sally sends a gold broach for Lilly and Emma sends a . . . [bible?]. I think Lilly will be pleased. Sally hopes Bessie will treasure the old china cups and saucers she sent&; Edward the cup like my china he asked me for. I . . . Bessie the sweet William seed and the gillyflower seed. Mr. Sharpe is to have some of it.
My dear Edward, I send you a very old silver spoon which was your Grandma Walker’s with my dear love hopes your dear Percy is better. The photos of Russia here will please you but it does seem as if I had seen nothing of you.

      In 1897 Lily Walker was 24 and didn't marry John Leib until 1903 but from this letter it appears they were sending items for a dowry. I guess maybe anyone of marrying age would have received such gifts. The next oldest girl was Eula and she was only 13 so that may explain why all the items were for Lily.

     Julia in the letter is Edward's sister who was married to Thomas Spencer and lived at Well House Farm, Handley about 10 miles or so from Russia Hall in Tattenhall. Sally could be Edward's youngest sister, Sarah Gray Salmon, who lived less than 5 miles from Russia Hall in Waverton. The only Emma I can find would have only been nine so I doubt that is her.

The plate shown here I've always assumed was bought by Edward and Betsy on this trip, but I don't know for sure. It was made not far from Tattenhall and dates between 1894 and 1895 so I don't think it's one of the items described above.

Edna Walker Burkhardt's 90th Birthday - May 22, 1978

    Edna Walker Burkhardt's 90th birthday was celebrated at the Topeka Holidome in May 1978. All four of her children, Allan, Ethel, Helen and Mary Grace attended along with their spouses. Unfortunately Helen's husband, Roy, passed away a few months prior to the birthday. Also attending were 10 of her 15 grandchildren, their spouses and 3 of her 9 great grandchildren plus two nieces, Dorothy and Laura Lieb. Below is the home movie Ray took that day. Harold Winter, husband of Edna's daughter, Ethel, appears first in the movie, enjoying his pipe on the porch of the Burkhardt home on Jewel in Topeka. Joining Harold are Helen, Ethel and Edna.

     Then the action moves to the Holidome where there is a lot of milling around. Edna and her four children are seated at the head table. To each side of the head table are the other tables seating everyone else.

     Enjoy and Happy Birthday to Edna on the 127th anniversary of her birth.

Edward and Betsy Walker Visit England in 1897

   

William Sharpe - 1927

Here I am in sight of the shores of old England and I will mail this in Liverpool after I land. We had a very disagreeable voyage and the most of us are heartily sick of the sea, continuous winds, rain and fog. South easterly winds nearly the entire distance accompanied by torrents of rain and a temperature of about 40 degrees every day. Nearly frozen out, I have wished for 100 in the shade several times. I have had all I want of the Atlantic Ocean, it is not what it is cracked up to 
be, not in a storm at least.
We got into fog and ice in the Strait of Belle Isle and had to wait fourteen hours; just stopped the engines and drifted around. When the fog cleared away we were just surrounded by immense bergs – it was a great sight. They were all shapes and sizes from the size of a town lot to a 40-acre field, but they were grand. 

William Sharpe aboard the State of California, the Allan Line in July 1897

      After 26 years of marriage, Edward took Betsy home to England to meet his family. Making the trip with them was Betsy's brother, William, who lived in Clay Center. Their plans included visiting the Walkers near Chester and touring the eastern side of England where William and Betsy had lived until moving to the United States in 1870.

     Before leaving Topeka for Montreal where they boarded the California, Edward and Betsy made arrangements for their seven children and Edward's drugstore. Lily, their oldest and 24 years old,  would be in charge of the home front and Fred at the age of 23 would tend the shop. Two of the girls, Eula, 13 and Grace, who would turn 12, while her parents were away, went to Clay Center to stay with their aunt, Jesse, William's wife. The others Percy, 17, Edna, 9 and Ada, 4 would remain in Topeka.

     William, like his brother-in-law Edward, had been a druggist, a president of a bank in Clay Center and now owned a shoe store there.
   

Walker Family c. 1896
Lily, Percy, Edward, Eula, Betsy, Fred and Grace
Ada and Edna

     A bit more from William about their trip that also included others from Topeka, Charles Adams, publisher; Frank Shellabarger, funeral director; and the Rev. A. S. Embree:

           Tatten Hall Eng.

It is only two days since I landed yet Dr. Embree, [the minister at First Methodist in Topeka] Mr. Walker and I have been around a great deal. We were met by Mr. Walker’s brother and taken to their fine old home, “Russia Hall,” built about 200 years ago. Thursday we went to Eaton Hall, the seat of the duke of Westminster, richest man in England. This place is one of marvelous beauty. From thence we went on into Wales, to Hawardan Castle the home of the grand old man, Gladstone. I must say I never enjoyed myself so much in my life. England is so inexpressibly beautiful and I am delighted with my native land, in fact I am wild over it. The weather is delightful. The natives were complaining of the heat so I looked at the thermometer and it was 82 in the sun. After sundown it gets so cold that I am compelled to stay in the house. Gossip from Wm. Sharpe

      The Walkers and William may have been enjoying their time in England, but back in Topeka, things were not well. Eventually Lily had to cable her parents with the news that Percy was dreadfully ill with typhoid fever.

Mary Cooke Walker

The suddenness of their departure from England comes through in this letter from Edward's mother, Mary, to Lily,
   

My dear Lilly.

Your telegram letter to me, has been read many times over and the finish that Percy was getting better was best of all. A trained nurse knows how to do in special cases. I know you feel the responsibility very keenly as father and mother were away.

I greatly regret I did not begin to put things together I wanted them to have when first they came but then it seemed plenty of time but it was a mistake.

Your mother endeared herself to us all by her kindly manners and I do not feel now as if I had loved her half enough. I am not very demonstrative with my love but my son [would know] how I feel. When . . . how suddenly your father and mother left us. Your uncle cheered me up with saying Percie would get better but I could take no comfort until I got your letter. [Fathers . . the New York telegram in .  .Sarah has been to her brother’s wedding the 25^th August and the bride wore white cashmere Irish lace. Sarah got a train to use with lace and to wear and brought me a piece of wedding cake. This morn I read a note of invitation to Denhull Hall from Mr. & Mrs. Goodwin to their daughter’s marriage on Sept 29 time enough for me to get a new dress but I shall.

Your loving grandma, Mary Walker

Your loving grandma, Mary Walker.

        There are parts I haven't quite deciphered, but I'm still working on it. I also haven't figured out the Sarah with a brother that married in 1897. There are other letters from that trip and time period that I will try to post soon.

Hollywood Comes to Lawrence - 1940

     Much to the delight of Mary Grace, Hollywood came to Kansas in the spring of her junior year of high school, April 1940 to be precise. She was 16 and talked her mother into letting her skip school for the day and go to Lawrence with her for the festivities. In Lawrence they hoped to see Walter Pidgeon, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, John Wayne, Gabby Hayes, etc.


From her scrapbook about her visit to the Hotel Eldridge:

My mother and I talked with the National Guard at the elevator for several minutes. I expressed my desire to see one movie star up close and he let us go upstairs at the Hotel Eldridge at Lawrence, Kans. He turned to my mother and said, “Which floor?”

Mother stammered around that she didn't know.

He said “they’re on second, third and fourth,” out of the corner of his mouth.

Then “third floor.”

We didn't hesitate and were on the elevator in a minute. We got so pushed around that we couldn't get off till the fourth floor We rode up feeling like something somewhere between the Queen of England and Shirley Temple. Alighting on the fourth floor, we looked around for a movie star and seeing nothing but ordinary mortals like ourselves inquired of a waitress and found they were resting.

We walked around the corner and bingo into a fat man we ran, just a trifle drunk.

“What floor am I on?” he asked.

“Fourth,” we answered.

“Wrong floor,” and he ran down the stairs.

Finding no one that looked important, we followed our friend to the third floor.

Walter Pidgeon in the parade
at Lawrence.

As soon as we reached the third floor, our friend came up and inquired what floor he was on. We replied third. He said wrong floor and went to second. We found third to be quite a floor.

Around the corner we go and bingo again we almost ran into Gabby Hayes. He was pacing the floor looking very depressed, smoking a cigarette. I was very much afraid he would put his beard on fire. He paced up and down about ten times then went into his rooms. We felt now we had seen one star we must see another so asked another waitress and she told us to go down as far as we could down in the hall and we would find Gene Autry’s and Walter Pidgeon’s rooms.

So we go. The waitress outside Gene Autry was quite flustered when we got there. She was arguing with some people outside his door telling them they could not go in. They informed her that they were his parents so she didn't argue any further.

Autographs of Walter Pidgeon, John Wayne & Gene Autry

The door behind us opened. We turned around and there was Walter Pidgeon’s head sticking out of the door. He very obligingly signed his autograph on the back of the telephone bill. Which incidentally will be reported to be lost this month. Having reached our peak here we departed for the second floor. Again we meet our friend and again he is on the wrong floor. But this time he wanted to give us his autograph so he also writes on the telephone bill much to my sorrow because from what we could read he was the secretary to a secretary. June Sotery then entered the picture, taps on Wendy Barris door and went in, lucky dog.

The movie, Dark Command, was based, although only so slightly, on Quantrill's raid on Lawrence in 1863. And to honor and celebrate the film, a set featuring the Hotel Eldridge was built in Lawrence's South Park and then set on fire, albeit Hollywood style fire so nothing actually burned.

Mary Grace's photo of
the burning of Lawrence-1940.

    According to one of synopsis of the film on the website imbd, Quantrill played by Walter Pidgeon and called Cantrell was upset that a Texan, John Wayne, had beaten him in an election to be Marshall. Upset by this defeat Cantrell, a well respected school teacher, steals Wayne's girlfriend and burns the town down. According to one clipping in the scrapbook, eventually Cantrell's mother kills him. The oddest part, although, the film's treatment of the raid that killed more than 160 people is all odd, is that it is set before the Civil War.

More Mary Grace and the Cavalry

Update: There was more than one Russell I discovered today when I was scanning in more of Mary Grace's scrapbooks. The war years must have been tough because she didn't exactly put them together in order. That's about all the blame I can pass on to her for mixing up the Russells. The Russell in the South Pacific was Russell Bosley as he told her or perhaps it was Bosler. He was born in 1919 in Watkins Glen, New York. She went with him to a winter formal on January 29, 1944. By February he had been sent to the South Pacific. He sent her the photos from there the following January.

Russell Bosley and Mary Grace
Winter Formal, January 29, 1944
Topeka

Russell Bosley, Staff Sergeant
in the Army Air Corps

   

So to those of you who felt that men didn't serve in both the European theater and the Pacific theater, apparently you were right--at least in this case. I must admit I didn't think the Russell in Topeka in 1945 looked that much like the Russell in the South Pacific, but it wasn't enough to stop me from publishing the blog. It was, though, enough to keep me from sending the photos or copies of the photos to Russell Hains' survivors. 

Mary Grace spent a lot of time at the USO, dancing with the GI's and helping to distract them from the war. Her mother gave her this cartoon, saying it reminded her of Mary Grace. She kept their photos and mementos through the war years, adding comments like, "I didn't even dance with this 'little guy'." Among these are nearly 20 photographs, Russell Leroy Hains sent her from his posting with the 5th Bombardment Group in the South Pacific.

Cartoon from 1944
The things you're saying to these boys
sounds pretty serious -- I don't want a 
troop of soldiers marching in here to quarrel
over you!

       According to his obituary in January of 2004, he earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart in Europe during World War II, but the article doesn't mention his time in the South Pacific. To me the Russell Hains in the obituary is the one whom Mary Grace knew. There are records that indicate he was mustered out of the army at a hospital in Topeka in September 1945.

"A picture of our pet parrot, George. That's me
beside him. Nice tan don't you think."

       
     These photos are a sampling from what he sent her. I haven't been able to pinpoint where he was stationed, but it may have been in the Solomon Islands. Clearly somewhere warm as these are dated either December 15 or Christmas Eve 1945. Russell was born in August 1924 so that would make him only 20 years old.

December 24, 1944
Another view of our celebrating Christmas
in the Islands.

December 15, 1944
E. Moodie, our ballgunner with bananas
and tree.

Russell saw Mary Grace when he returned to the states in 1945. On this day in August he and Mary Grace posed for several photographs. In her My Life, Mary Grace wrote that she almost got engaged to one of the soldiers she met through the USO. At this point, no one knows or remembers which one of her suitors she meant, but she has more photos of Russell than anyone else. She and Ray had been dating off and on by then for almost four years with engagements occurring between them every so often. They eventually married in July 1946 less than a year after this. In Mary Grace's scrapbook, near the photos of Russell in Topeka, is a clipping describing the 30th McClenny reunion, including the information that Mary Grace Burkhardt attended. Russ left Topeka soon after these photos were taken. The last reference of Russ is a postcard from him saying he was on his way home to Philadelphia.

December 15, 1944 - Solata,
my radio operator and me.
Things that look like rocks are coral.

Edna and Russell
August 1945 Topeka

Russell and Mary Grace
August 1945 Topeka