My father's full name was Herman Luther Walker. He was born in 1886. He went to Dartmouth College. He was a long distance runner in college and won lots of metals. He died in Dec 1951 of cancer. If you ever go to Cornish, New Hampshire, they have a book (a collection of stories) my father wrote about his life as a boy on a farm. He was one of 9 children. Horace Porter (husband of deceased older sister) sent the book to the Cornish Historical Society. Apparently he found it among Shirley's possessions. A woman who worked for the Historical Society wrote to me for some information about the family. I wrote to her telling her I wondered if she could send me the book and I could have it copied. She did send it, but the pages were so fragile, I just read it and sent it back as she asked me to.
How did your parents meet?
Their families knew each other. They went on summer vacations together. They were married in Chicago, Ill and lived there until my father got a job in New York City.
*Source: Interview by mail solicited by Maribeth Walker from her Aunt Majory Patton in April 1995.
Among the prizes he won were 4 German Steins in 1905-1906. These are currently (2002) in the possession of his grand-grandson, Oliver Jerome Walker. The lids are missing from 2 of the steins, but the other 2 are dated.
He graduated from Dartmouth in 1909.
*Source: Dartmouth Alumni Association
OBITUARY:
H. L. Walker Dies; County Welfare Aide
Herman L. Walker, of 401 Myrtle Ave., administrative assistant at the Albany County Department of Public Welfare for 20 years, died yesterday in Albany Hospital after an illness of nine weeks.
Born in Cornish, N. H., Mr. Walker lived in Albany most of his life. He was graduated from Dartmouth College and was a member of the Albany Aurania Club.
Surviving are his wife, Maude Dixon; two daughters, Mrs. Horace D. Porter, Washington, D. C., and Mrs. M. Harmer Patton, Lyons Falls, and a son, Edward D. Walker, Washington. Funeral services will be conducted in Palmer's Funeral Home, 341 Second Ave., at 9 a.m. Friday. The Rev. R. Lloyd Hackwell, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, will officiate. Burial will be in Edson Cemetery, Lowell, Mass.
*Source: Albany, New York Knickenbacker News, 19 Dec 1951.
OBITUARY
Herman Luther Walker died on December 18 in the Albany Hospital, Albany, N. Y., following a nine-week illness. His home was at 401 Myrtle Ave., Albany.
Herm was born in Cornish, N. H. on September 22, 1881, the son of Martin Luther and Elizabeth (Bailey) Walker. He entered Dartmouth from Kimball Union Academy and was a member of the track team in '06 and '07, earning his "D" in the two-mile event. His fine tenor voice gave him a place as first tenor in the college choir and glee club during his entire undergraduate days. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi.
After graduation he served as an efficiency engineer with Sears, roebuck Co., from 1909-1912 in Chicago; with the Charles Williams Stores, New York City, from 1913-1928; and with Montgomery Ward Co., in Baltimore, Chicago and Albany from 1928-1932. He then became associated with the Albany County department of Public Welfare, serving as administrative assistant until his death.
Surviving are his wife, Maude Dixon; two daughters, Mrs. Horace D. Porter, Washington, D. C., and Mrs. M. Harmer Patton, Lyons Falls, and a son, Edward D. Walker, Washington D. C.
Funeral services were conducted by Rev. R. Lloyd Hackwell of St. Andres's Episcopal Church in Palmer's Funeral Home on Dec. 21. Interment was in Edson Cemetery.
*Source: Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, Feb. 1952
Herm Walker sent in a most interesting letter to Norman Catharin with his donation to the Alumni Fund. He wrote as follows: ".....I often wonder how the war has affected the various families of our class. If you will pardon a personal reference, I will bring myself up to date a bit. Besides my wife I have three children, two girls and a boy, all married. One daughter lives in Washington, the other entered missionary services and went to China to study the language in 1940. There was considerable sentiment in that part of China, which was Jap controlled, against Americans, so she and her husband and little boy went to the Philippine Islands to continue study and while there fell into the hands of the Japs and was, according to our information, sent to an interment camp. No definite word has been received, but as far as we know the family is safe but probably not having things too easy. My son Edward joined the Marines immediately after Pearl Harbor and is still in this country at this writing".
*Source: Dartmouth Alumni Magazine, August 1943
The following is extracted from the Dartmouth College, Office of Alumni Records dated 8 Jan 1924:
Walker, Herman L.
Class of 1909
B. S. from Dartmouth
Entered Dartmouth: 1905
Present occupation: Efficiency Engineer for The Charles William Stores in New York City
Home address: 280 St. Johns Pl, Brooklyn, NY
Fathers Full Name: Martin Luther Walker
Mothers maiden name: Elizabeth Bailey
Offices held in connection with Dartmouth:
Capt. Track Team 1909
Membership in societies: Beta Theta Pi
Date of marriage: Oct 20, 1910
Maiden name of wife: Maude Dixon
Children:
Shirely Mary Walker, July 29, 1913
Marjory Maude Walker, Oct 11, 1915
Edward Dixon Walker, Jan 26, 1922
Names of members of your family or relatives who have been or are connected with Dartmouth College:
Clarence C. Walker, '98, brother
Letter from Herman Walker:
April 19, 1950
69 Winthrop Ave
Albany, N. Y.
Mr. Harold G. Rugg
Hanover N. H.
Dear Mr. Rugg:
Re your letter of April 14th wish to say the announcement in the Diddings, was premature. It is true I have written a book but negotiations for its publications are still pending. I expect some revisions are required which as yet are not completed. I regret the announcement in the "Didding" and am at a loss as to it's origin. All I can say is that it has met with favorable reception with the proviso that certain changes be made which I expect to do at my leisure.
Thank you for your interest. If and when publication is a fact I will advise you.
Sincerely,
Herman L. Walker
Historical Marker for:
KIMBALL UNION ACADEMY
This school, known first as Union Academy, was chartered June 16, 1813 "to train young men for leadership in the ministry." The original building, located about 1,000 feet west of here and dedicated January 9, 1815, was destroyed by fire in 1824. Now known as Kimball Union Academy to honor benefactor Daniel Kimball, traditionally it has afforded a broad education to all who have attended.
Located on the west side of NH 120, just south of its junction with Main Street in the village of Meriden.
Published by The New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources
8th Edition, 1989
From an interview with Virginia Bowers, Albany, New York Historian. 13 Nov 2002
The Aurenia Club was a social club on the order of an upper class country club, or as she put it a "status" club. It had a closed membership - one had to be "nominated" and then approved by the membership to join. It's membership primarily consisted of those who lived in the Pine Hills Section ofAlbany, and she asked me if I knew Herman's address, and I gave her some from the Dartmouth collection and she confirmed those were indeed Pine Hills area addresses. They hosted dances, had bridge tournaments, and had a bowling alley in the basement and had bowling tournaments. The building had several rooms and many fireplaces. It was also used for wedding receptions and other similar social functions and occaisionally hosted a high school graduation dance. She said she attended her high school graduation dance there and it had "lovely" rooms. She said as time went by, the young people didn't show as much interest in belonging to the club, and it eventually phased out and the building was sold to the Elk's Club. It is still standing and she said it still a beautiful building.