Re: Josef Walker & Anna Rosa Gisler Children, Lassen Co
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In reply to:
Josef Walker & Anna Rosa Gisler Children, Lassen Co
J Walker 1/12/11
I am a great-grandson of Gottfried (Godfrey) Walker of Switzerland (Switzwald) who married Alice Jane Kenyon in Big Valley (Bieber). My father was Durward Delton Walker, his father was William Waldron Walker, who was the son of Godfrey Walker. We never knew he had a first name (Josef). All we knew was that Godfrey's father's name was Joe and his mother's name was Rosa. After Alice died, Godfrey sent the kids to live with relatives (?) and then would travel around staying with each family for a couple of weeks at a time. As a child in the early 50's I vaguely remember Godfrey showing up at the door with his steamer trunks to stay awhile. I remember he would always help wash dishes with my mom (Bessie Jean (Thomas) Walker) after dinner...and one time mom and great grandpa were "fighting" about something, so they would stand at the sink washing and drying and not saying a word the whole time...mom was stubborn too...red hair and Irish descent.
Family legend says two cousins came from Switzerland through New York when the were somewhere between 9 and 13. One version says they got separated in New York and never saw each other again..another version says they met again in Bieber..another version says the cousin was a girl. One story says Godfrey was expected in Bieber but never showed up..eventually someone (?) heard he was in San Francisco delivering milk, so someone(?) was sent to retrieve him. Did he come over as an indentured servant? (i.e. was he supposed to work off his passage to U.S.?). I have no stories of how he got to New York (where he sailed from, what ship, etc.), or how he got to San Francisco/California (stagecoach, horse, walked, train, wagon train,etc.).
Another family legend has it that the cousins knew how old they were but didn't know their birthdays, so one chose July 4 (Godfrey) and the other chose Dec 25. I have guesstimated Godfrey's birth year as 1867 from census records.
Godfrey wouldn't talk about the (old country) because "we are American now". Dad (Durward) says when Godfrey got together with his old "friends" from the old country they would speak a course, gutteral language. Dad thinks it was German, but wasn't sure.
Anton Gerig is a prominent figure in the cowboy stories of Godfrey and William Waldron, so I have always suspected he was the other cousin.
Godfrey and Alice are buried in the Bieber Cemetary.
May I ask how you obtained Godfrey's parents names?
Ray Walker
More Replies:
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Re: Josef Walker & Anna Rosa Gisler Children, Lassen Co
J Walker 4/24/12