Walter-Walters Family of Noble County
If anyone has any info on the following family line, pleasee-mail me direct any info will be gladly appreciated.
Johann Adam Walter was located living in Pennsylvania in the late 1700’s with his wife,
Agnes (Haag) Haggen. They were found listed in the German Church Records of
Westmoreland Co., Pennsylvania. They were also in the Tax Records dated 1799-1801,
Fayette Co., Redstone TWP.,
Adam Walters was found in the 1820 Census of Pennsylvania living in Fayette County,
Redstone Township. They had three children;
Anna Maria Elizabeth Walter who was born in Pennsylvania on November 17, 1790.
She was Christened in the Hempfield Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania on
October 10, 1792 by Evangelical Lutheran Minister, John Michael Steck, in the
Brosch-Krucker (Brush Creek) Congregation.
David Walter, born August 31, 1793and Christened on 20 October 1793 in the Brush
Creek Lutheran Church in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. It is not clear whether the
family was actually living in Westmoreland County at the time of the baptism.It was not
uncommon in those early years of settlement for families to travel some distance to have
their children baptized.
Joseph Walter was born on December 13, 1795 in Pennsylvania. His Baptismal record
shows he was Christened on March 25, 1795 in Brush Creek Lutheran Church,
Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania.
David Walter grew up in Fayette County, Pennsylvania.As an adult, he is first found in
the tax record of Menallen Township, Fayette County in 1819.He subsequently paid
taxes there or in Redstone Township which borders Menallen.He is listed in various ways
(coal miner, mine labor, laborer) but in each case it is evident that he was a miner through
most of his life.He married Mary Walters and was one of the seven children of Jacob and
Hannah Moore. Her birthdate is unknown and no baptismal record has been found.She
grew up on her father's farm in Redstone Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania.She
married David Walter before 1820.They appear on the 1820 Federal Census with one son under 10 years of age.Although the exact date of Mary's death is not known, she
apparently was living at the time of the writing of her father's will (1842) in which she was
named.She was deceased by the 1850 census.
There is no evidence that they ever owned property.Reflecting the general economic
depression of the mid-1830s, David's school-aged children are listed in the 1834, 1835,
and 1836 tax records in the listing of "Poor Children" (those whose parents were unable to
pay for their schooling.)David last appears on the tax records in 1848.
After Mary died, David and his youngest children made their home with his son
Johnston.They are listed in the 1850 Federal Census.At about this same time David
must have been in declining health.In a rather unusual move, he petitioned the Fayette
County Orphans Court fo appoint a guardian for his youngest child, Jacob.At that time it
was more customary for the guardian to be appointed after the death of the father.
Apparently in poor health and unable to take care of his family, petitioned the Orphans
Court of Fayette County to appoint a guardian for his youngest child, Jacob, then under
14 years of age.
At the same session, Mahala, then 16 years old, and her sister, Martha Priscilla, also
petitioned for guardians.No evidence has been found to indicate that there was any real
estate or other major assets held for these children.The guardianship apparently was
necessary only for managing their living expenses from whatever small savings David had
at the time of his death.At the time of the Federal Census in summer 1850, Mahala,
Jacob, and their father were living with her brother Johnston Walter, and his young family.
This court record is the last piece of information found for David and it is probably safe
to assume that David died soon after taking this action on behalf of his son.
David and Mary Walter of Fayette County, Pennsylvania had the following children, one
of which migrated to Noble County, Ohio.
Their children were:
Eli Walters was born about 1820.Eli moved to Noble Co, Ohio with his sister and
brother-in-law Rachel and Samuel Swank and was living with them there at the time of the
1860 census.
Jackson Walters was born about 1825 and is also believed to have moved to Ohio.
Johnson (or Johnston/Jonathan) Walters was born about 1826. He moved to Noble Co,
Ohio and was listed as a farmer there in the 1860 census,
Rachel Walters was born about 1828. She married Samuel Swank onFebuary 3, 1853.
They moved to Noble Co, Ohio by 1860.
Martha Pricilla Walters was born about 1832.
Mahala Walters was born on May 9, 1834, New Salem, Fayette County, Pennsylvania,
and married John Gibboney, the eldest child ofJoelGibboney and Susannah Keagy, was
born on 26 August 1824 at Woodbury in Bedford County, Pennsylvania.At Woodbury
there was a settlement of the River Brethern.John and his brother Benjamin became
members of that church and remained so all of their lives.
About 1849, John and Benjamin went to Fayette County, Pennsylvania to visit church
members.They did not return to Bedford County.Benjamin married within a few
months.John found work as a laborer in building the locks on the Monongehela River at
Brownsville, making that river navigable from Pittsburg to Morgantown, West Virginia.
He next worked on the railroad grade while building the Pittsburgh and Connelsville
Railroad, whild later became the B & O Railroad.At the completion of this work, on June
9 1853, he married Mahala Walter, of near Uniontown, Pennsylvania.Soon afterward
they moved to Noble County where they lived for a few years before returning to
Pennsylvania.John worked as a coal miner for a number of years and then moved to Ohio
again.This time to the farming village of Webster in Darke County.Benjamin and his
family also lived in Webster where there was a large settlement of Old Order River
Brethern.John and Mahala joined them there.
John remained in Webster until ill health forced him to return to Pennsylvania where he
and Mahala made their home with their daughter Anna (aka Susannah) in Westmoreland
County.Of his father, John H. Gibboney wrote, "He was a devoted Christian, a kind
father and husband, and was the first of his family to depart this life, which occurred April
14, 1892, being 67 years, 7 months and 18 days of age."He was buried in the Mt.
Pleasant Cemetery.
John had been converted to the Old Order River Brethern Church as a young man.No
records have been found to indicate the church affiliation Mahala had prior to her
marriage.In any case, she and John lived the ultra-conservative life style of this religious
community all of their lives.
Sometime after the birth of their first child, Joel Major, in July 1854, the family moved
to Noble County, Ohio, where John H. Gibboney, was born in 1858.Soon thereafter they
returned to Pennsylvania.Two children, Samuel J. and Mary Elizabeth, were born near
Alverton in Westmoreland County.The family moved again to Ohio, this time to the town
of Webster in Darke County where two more daughters, Susannah and Frances, were
born.Each of these moves to Ohio were made to join other members of the Old Order
River Brethern.
When John became frail, he and Mahala returned to Westmoreland County to live with
their daughter Susannah who had married and moved there.After John's death in 1892,
Mahala continued to live with Susannah.Mahala was almost completely blind for 14
years.Surgery late in her life partially restored her eyesight.
Mahala Gibboney died of the grip and infirmities of age on 13 February 1917.She was
buried in the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.
The children ofJohn Gibboney and Mahala Walters were:
1. Joel Major Gibboney Born: July 24, 1854Died: August 18, 1932
2. John Henry Gibboney Born: August 3, 1858Died: 21 October 1940
3. Samuel J. Gibboney Born: March 15, 1862Died: 30 March 30, 1938
4. Mary Elizabeth Gibboney Born: March 8, 1865Died: April 23, 1938
5. Susannah Gibboney Born: July 2, 1867Died:13 December 13, 1954
6. Frances Gibboney Born: April 11, 1870Died: 30 April 30, 1940
The last child born to David and Mary Walter was Jacob Walters was born about 1836.
Johnson (JohnstonJonathan) Walters was born circa 1826 in Pennsylvania, and was
married to Mary (maiden name unknown) and was according to the 1860 Census, living in
the Marion Township of Noble County, Ohio. They had the following children:
1. Thomas Walters Born: circa 1847
2. David Walters Born: circa 18493. Mary E. Walters Born: circa 1851
4. Susannah Walters Born: circa 1854
5. James A. Walters Born: circa 1859
6. John W. Walters Born: circa 1864
The 1880 & 1900 Census of Noble County, showed a David Walters living with his
family in Jefferson Township. He was born October 9, 1848 in Fayette County,
Pennsylvania and was married to Anna Vandyne, who was born March 1852 in Ohio.
David came to Noble County, Ohio with his parents, Jonathan and Mary Walters, in 1855
in a covered wagon. He was reared in the Summerfield Community and lived the most of
his life in Macksburg. David was a member of the Macksburg Methodist Church since his
childhood, and his occupation was in the oil industry as an operater for 35 years. After he
retired, he engaged in farming. He died in 1938 of a heart attack at the age of 91. His wife,
Anna, died about 1928. They are buried in the Lund Cemetery.
They had the following children:
Arnetta Walters born in Ohio circa 1868
John R. Walters born in Ohio January 1871 and married Lucy Hammond. James
Walters, who was a lifelong resident on Macksburg, died circa 1938 at the Marietta
Memorial Hospital and is buried in Williamson Cemetery. They had no children of record
as of this writing.
Mary F. Walters born in Ohio circa 1872. She married (?) Peck.
Homer Walters born in Ohio July 1874. Homer died circa 1945 in the home of his
sister, Martha Walters-Kirkbride in Dexter City.He never married and is buried in the
Lund Cemetery.
Ford Sumpter Walters born in Ohio circa 1875William Walters born in Ohio circa 1876
Charles Charley Walters born in Sarahsville, Noble County, Ohio in December of
1877. His occupation was an Oil Driller and Contractor. He was married to Ella Osborne.
Charles died circa 1955 at the Marietta Memorial Hospital and is buried at the Lund
Cemetery. He and Ella had three children known as of this writing;
1. Hazel Walters
2. Blanche Walters
3. Bryson Walters
Deffa Jessie (Dessie)Walters born in Ohio October 1879. She married (?) Hupp.
James Walters born in Ohio February 1881.
Rosa E. Rose Walters born in Ohio April 1884. She married (?) Boone.
Martha Walters born in Ohio May 1887. She married (?) Kirkbride.
Howard D. Walters born in Ohio December 1890
Nicolas Walters
According to the 1900 Soundex of Ohio, Jackson Walters was born in December of
1874 in Ohio. He and his family was living in Washington County, Ohio in the town of
Macksburg. He was an Oil worker by trade. Although he went by the nickname ofJACK, his real name was Ford (Summter) Sumner Walters. He was born December 7,
1875 in Noble County in the town of Macksburg. His wife, who was part Indian, was
Rebecca Jane “Betsy” Goodwill, born in Ohio December of 1877. She was the daughter of
Lafayette Goodwill and Melchie F. Gessel. Rebecca died in 1929. Ford died in 1962 at the
Wayne County Hospital at Wooster. They are buried in the Creighton Ridge Church of Christ Cemetery. They had twelve children, only two of which I have obtained any extensive information on;
Forest Walters was the first child born to Jackson and Rebecca Walters, who was born May 1896.
Floyd Walters was born in Ohio to Jackson and Rebecca Walters on July 10, 1897, and
was married to a woman by the name of Odessa born about 1901. According to the 1920
Ohio Soundex, they were living in Monroe County, Ohio. At the time they had one son,
1. Elmer Tug Walters Born: Circa 1919-1920. He married Laura (?) and had two
daughters and a son.
These other children were born probably after 1920. The names were given to me by
my grandmother;
2. Harry Walters
3. Ruby Walters
4. Richard F. Walters Sr.
5. Wanda Walters
Floyd Walters passed away Febuary 1977 in Evanston. Cook County, Illinois. As of this
writing, I have no other information on his family.
Virgie Walters was born in July 1899
Sylvia Walters Born: Circa 1900
Louise Walters Born: Circa 1902
Minnie GoldieWalters was born on March 15, 1902. She died in April 1983 in
Oklahoma. She was married first to Ben Moore. Minnie married a second time to Emmett
Templeton.
Leona Walters Born: Circa 1903
Clyde Walters Born: Circa 1905Died: Circa 1920 when he fell at about the age of 14
from a barn roof.
Lucille Walters Born: Circa 1908
Gertrude Walters Born: Circa 1911
Glen Walters Born: Circa 1913
Vera Walters Born: Circa 1915
The Census records showed all of them was born in the state ofOhio. The family was
living in Monroe County in 1910 and back living in Washington County in 1920.
My great-grandfather, Forest Carl Walters, born May 1896. He went by the nickname
Pete all of his life. He was a veteran of World War 1. He married Lola Fern Blair, born
March 30, 1900 in Flag, Noble County, Ohio. She was the daughter ofWillard Blair,
Febuary 10, 1875-August 1945 and Laurabee VanFossen, August 1881-August 1949.
They were married in Monroe County, Ohio on October 30, 1917. Forest and Lola
divorced, and Forest married a second time to Alma (?). Forest Carl Walters died circa
1961 in Xenia, Greene County, Ohio.