USA > Indiana > History of the Catholic church in Indiana, Volume II > Part 90
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On October 26, 1880, Mr. Walker was married at Loogootee to Miss Jennie E. Reynolds, who was born at that place June 11, 1861, the daughter of Thomas and Esther (Jeke) Reynolds. This union has been blessed by the birth of the following children: Edward E., Louis A. and John Earl.
OHN B. WALLACE, a popular man of business in Indianapolis, J is a native of Shoals, Martin county, Ind., and was born March 1, 1853, but at a tender age was bereft of his father.
Stephen and Kate (Gormley) Wallace, parents of John B., were natives of Ireland, and had born to their union three children, viz: John B., Stephen, who died in young manhood, and Kate, who is the wife of George Beemam, and resides in her native village of Shoals. Stephen, the father, was a railroad employee, and died at Shoals in January, 1861, at the early age of thirty-six years, a faithful member of the Catholic church, and his widow subse- quently married Christopher Walls. She survived until November 27, 1887, when she, also, was called away in the same faith.
The early years of the childhood of John B. Wallace were passed at the parental home, but at the death of his father he was placed in the orphans' asylum near Vincennes, Ind., where he was educated and prepared for life's struggle. In later youth and early (1360)
CATHOLIC CHURCH OF INDIANA.
manhood he was variously employed, but principally was in charge of the bridges of the Ohio & Mississippi Railway company between Washington and Seymour, Ind. In 1883 he came to Indianapolis and entered the employ of the National Malleable Castings com- pany, with which he passed seven years as a molder.
The marriage of Mr. Wallace took place in Indianapolis, in 1885, to Miss Margaret Wisbach, a native of Dubois county, Ind., where she was educated and grew to womanhood. This marriage has been blessed with three children, named, in order of birth, Katie, Stephen and William, all still living to brighten the home of the parents.
In 1894 Mr. Wallace embarked in business on Holmes avenue, near the shops in which seven years of his life were passed, and, naturally, has a large share of the patronage of his old-time asso- ciates. His place is neat, clean and attractive, and is quiet and orderly, as no person is allowed to become intoxicated on the premises. A gentleman himself, he sees to it that no person shall act otherwise than such in his presence or in the presence of his patrons. He is a man of fine physique and appearance, and is as affable as he is athletic. He and family are strict in their religious duty, and he is never behindhand in his contributions to the good work of the church.
H ON. PETER WALLRATH, editor and proprietor of Das Sternenbanner, Logansport, Ind., was born August 29, 1844, at Bockum, by Crefeld, Rhine Prussia, a son of Zaccheus and Catherina Wallrath, parents of nine children. The mother died in her native land in 1857, February 18, and fourteen days later, the eldest daughter, Elizabeth. One daughter, Margaret, became a sister of the Catholic order of the Infant Jesus, and died in a con- vent in Aix La Chapelle. The remainder of the family all subse- quently came to the United States.
Zaccheus Wallrath, the father, was a blacksmith by trade, was also a soldier in the Prussian army, and on coming to America lived for a short time in Evansville, Ind., and then went to San
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THE CLERGY AND CONGREGATIONS,
Francisco, Cal., whither some of his children had preceded him, and there died September 6, 1888, at the age of seventy-eight years, and in the faith of the Catholic church. Of the children, Gertrude is married to Henry Kersting and resides in St. Louis, Mo .; Michael is a priest in the diocese of Sacramento, Cal., where he has been stationed twenty-seven years; Peter is the subject of this memoir; John was a teacher in East St. Louis, Ill., but died in Oshkosh, Wis., leaving one daughter; Joseph is a gardener in California; William is a professor in the Jesuit university in Bom- bay, India; Catherine was married to Martin Maher, who was a prominent dry-goods merchant in San Francisco, but died Decem- ber 19, 1889; his widow still resides in San Francisco, superin- tending the education of her two sons.
Hon. Peter Wallrath was trained to teaching in the Imperial Catholic Teachers' seminary at Kempen on the Rhine, from which he graduated at the age of twenty-two years, his diploma being signed by the faculty and also by the archbishop of the diocese of Cologne, which entitled him to teach the Catholic religion. He was for one year teacher in Essen, where the famous Krupp steel guns are manufactured. Mr. Wallrath also served in the war of 1866, but, being a graduate of the seminary, was detained six weeks only.
Mr. Wallrath arrived in New York in the spring of 1867, whence he went directly to Cincinnati, where his eldest brother was a student in Mount St. Mary's seminary. A few weeks later, at the recommendation of Father Többe, afterwards bishop of Cov- ington, he was appointed teacher at St. Alphonse church, near Norwalk, Ohio. He there met Miss Catherine Porzeld, a native of Germany, who was brought to America when an infant, her parents settling in Ohio in 1846. February 18, 1868, this lady became his wife, and immediately after marriage, at the solicita- tion of Father Viefhaus, of Evansville, Mr. Wallrath came to Indiana and taught school in Haubstadt, Gibson county. Two years later he went to California, purchased a farm, which he sold three years later, then returned east, and for a year taught school in O'Fallon, Ill., then taught for sixteen years at Germantown, Clinton county, in the same state, and also filled the position of
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organist for Very Rev. William Clause, of Belleville, and vicar of the diocese.
In 1891 Mr. Wallrath came to Logansport and purchased the Deutche Zeitung, which had been established by John Day in 1881, but the name of which Mr. Wallrath changed to that of Das Sternenbanner, enlarged it to a twelve-page six-column, and devoted it to the advocacy of the principles of the democratic party and to the interests of the Catholic church, as well as to the circulation of general news. It is the only journal printed in the German language in Cass county, and has a wide patronage throughout the state, being most excellently edited.
In 1896 Peter Wallrath was elected by the democratic party as joint representative for the counties of Cass and Miami to the Indiana legislature, and has here ably, faithfully and nobly per- formed his duty. A certain work, published by Harper Brothers, of New York, bearing the title of The Story of Liberty, which strongly reflected against Catholicism, had found its way into the public school libraries of Indiana at the instance of the board of directors of the Teachers' Reading circle. Mr. Wallrath, becom- ing aware of this fact, introduced a general resolution in the legis- lature prohibiting the circulation or the depositing of any and all anti-Catholic publications in the schools, and this resolution passed through the lower house by a vote of seventy-five to twelve, and through the upper house by forty-four to two votes, the result being that The Story of Liberty, and all other works of its class, were immediately withdrawn from the schools. In commenting on this action, the Catholic Columbian, published at Columbus, Ohio, in its issue of March 27, 1897, remarks:
In removing The Story of Liberty from the curriculum of the public schools of Indiana, Hon. Mr. Wallrath has made a move in the right direction for Catholics and established a precedent that should be followed in every state in the Union. Let our national Story of Liberty-one day, perhaps, to be written by an unbiased pen-record the fact that religious as well as political liberty is justly the boast of our land.
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Wallrath has been blessed with .seven children, the eldest of whom died in infancy, and its remains
67
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lie interred in the cemetery of St. James church, Gibson county, Ind. Of the survivors, Mary is now a member of the Dominican Sisters, and is teaching school in Portland, Ore .; Lizzie is assistant editor of and bookkeeper for Das Sternenbanner; Henry was a compositor on the same journal, but, at the call of the president, joined the volunteers and serves in company M, One Hundred and Sixtieth regiment Indiana volunteers, for the liberation of Cuba ;. Anna and Maggie reside under the parental roof. The youngest son, Frank, is a student at the Josephinum in Columbus.
The family are all devout Catholics, and Mr. Wallrath has been a member of the Catholic Knights of America since December 24, 1881. For eight years he was its state president for Illinois, and for two years has been state president for Indiana, and is now supreme delegate for the C. K. of A. in Indiana. He is also a member of St. Joseph's Benevolent society at Logansport, has always taken an active part in the affairs of the church and its sodalities, and on Catholic day, in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1892, was selected to deliver an address, at Music hall, on Catholic education.
Hon. Peter Wallrath has made his way at all times and through all circumstances, and now owns his business plant and residence at Nos. 207 and 209 Market street. He is very popular as a citi- zen, not only being highly esteemed by the members of his church but by the public of the city of Logansport at large.
JAMES WALSH, of No. 622 Stevens street, Indianapolis, is one of the early residents of St. Patrick's parish and was a mem- ber of the first board of trustees of the church after Father O'Don- aghue became its pastor.
James Walsh was born in county Mayo, Ireland, in 1841, a son of Peter and Ellen (Campbell) Walsh, the latter being of Scotch ancestry, and both of whom passed their lives in county Mayo. Mr. Walsh has also Scotch blood in his veins, his grandfather hav- ing been born in the north of Ireland, where the predominating population of to-day descends from the intermarriage of natives. of Scotland and Ireland, drawn together through religious perse- (1364)
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cution of the Scotch by English tyrants; and the term Scotch- Irish is also frequently applied to children born in Ireland of pure Scotch parentage. The grandfather of James Walsh, however, being a good Catholic was harried from his home in the north of Ireland by Orangemen, adherents of the Protestant religion, and members of a society named in honor of William III, of England (Prince of Orange). The grandfather's house was burned to the ground, and in order to avoid further persecution he fled to county and there founded the family of which the subject is to-day a worthy representative, and the only one in America, although he has a half-sister still living in county Mayo, the two being the only survivors of the family.
In 1865 James Walsh came to America, went direct to Cleve- land, Ohio, where friends of the family were living, and in 1870 came to Indianapolis, where he was engaged in various employ- ments untll 1874, since when he has been an employee of Holl- weg & Reese. In 1879 he married, in this city, Miss Catherine O'Farrell, a native of Ohio, but who was reared from childhood in Indianapolis, her father, Fergus O'Farrell, having been one of the early Catholic.settlers of the city. To the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Walsh have been born eight children, viz: Francis J., James E., John A., Mary H., George A., Louis M., Raymond B. and Charles F .- all of whom were baptized in St. Patrick's church with the exception of the eldest, who was baptized at St. John's.
Mr. Walsh is a faithful Catholic, as were his ancestors for generations before him, and for many years has been a member of the Men's sodality of the blessed Virgin Mary. He is a free con- tributor to the maintenance of St. Patrick's church, and he and family are among the most respected residents of the parish.
M ICHAEL WALLNER, superintendent of the Bedford Quarry company's mill, was born in Bavaria, Germany, March 23, 1867, and in 1881 came to America with his mother, who settled in Bedford, Ind.
Here young Wallner, at the age of sixteen years, became quite
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THE CLERGY AND CONGREGATIONS,
famous as a spun-glass blower, and many families in Bedford have at this time numerons fancy articles of spun glass created by his art. Here, also, although small of stature, he learned stonecut- ting. His first work as a journeyman was in the construction of the Louisville & Southern railroad, and later he became foreman of a stonecutting establishment in Louisville, Ky., which position he held four years. He then worked in Evansville and LaFayette, Ind., and Detroit, Mich., as foreman, and in 1891 ·returned to Bed- ford, Ind., and organized the Bedford Cut Stone company, of which he was the manager, his partner being William Evans. They built the Catholic church in Bedford; the Stone City Bank building; furnished many thousand cubic feet of cut stone for the famous Vanderbilt mansion in North Carolina; built a large stone vault in New Orleans, La. ; the Central avenue Methodist Episcopal church in Indianapolis and the vault in the cemetery; a business block, and also the residence of L. Ross, in Rochester, N. Y .; the county jail in Petersburg, Ind., and numerous other stone structures, employing fifty stonecutters and a small army of laborers. In 1894 Mr. Wallner sold his interest in this company to J. A. Hughes and entered upon the duties of his present position.
Mr. Wallner was united in marriage, in 1892, with Miss Mary Akers, a native of Louisville, Ky., and a daughter of Frank and Mary Jane Akers, who were residents of Louisville at the time of this marriage, and to this union have been born three children, viz: Michael, February 6, 1893; Marie, February 11, 1894 (died July 23, 1896), and Frank, born March 18, 1896. Mr. Wallner owns a pleasant residence at the corner of Thirteenth and L streets, where he dispenses a liberal hospitality to a large circle of warm and sincere friends.
Cajetan Wallner, father of subject, was born in Klingenbrunn, Germany, December 21, 1831, came to the United States March 5, 1880, and to Bedford, Ind., in 1881. His brother, Felix, and his sister, Caroline, married to Joseph Gump, reside in the state of Washington; another sister, Anna, is married to John Gump, and lives in Milwaukee, Wis. His wife, who bore the maiden nanie of Anna Miedle, died March 27, 1889, the mother of five children, viz: Michael, the subject of this memoir; Anna, born
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October 4, 1869-died April 28, 1897; Cajetan, born July 14, 1872, and now a stonecutter in Bedford; Katie, born October 9, 1874, and Rose, born January 6, 1877. The family were all reared in the Catholic faith, and have ever contributed liberally toward its advancement.
JAMES C. WALSH, grocery-merchant, doing business on the corner of Virginia avenue and Dougherty streets, Indianapolis, Ind., is a native of county Roscommon, Ireland, and was born in the month of January, 1830. He was reared to manhood in Ire- land, and there remained until 1866, in April of which year he came to the United States, locating for a period of eighteen months at Anderson, Ind., and from there, in 1868, moved to Indianapolis. At the former place, he was first employed on a construction train, and afterward became a teacher in the Catholic schools of that city, under the jurisdiction of Father Crawley.
In the spring of 1867, Mr. Walsh secured a position as bag- gage master at Union City, Ind., but soon resigned the place to accept employment in the machine shops of the "Bee Line " R. R. at Indianapolis. After remaining with the above company for some time, he became salesman in a wholesale and retail wall paper and carpet house in the Capital city, in which capacity he continued about seven years.
During the legislative session of 1874, Mr. Walsh served as journal clerk, and, for some time after adjournment, worked in the office of the Central Catholic Advocate, a church paper, pub- lished by L. H. Bell, of Louisville, Ky. His next position was that of traveling salesman for M. O'Conner & Co., of Indianapolis, with whom he remained for a period of five years, since the expir- ation of which time he has been engaged in the mercantile busi- ness, as a dealer in groceries.
Mr. Walsh was married in the land of his nativity, May 22, 1857, to Miss Margaret Lavin, of county Leitrim, and is the father of three children, the eldest being Joseph Marie, a Sister of Prov- idence at St. Mary's of The Woods; the second, Thomas, and the third, Maggie, are still with their parents.
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THE CLERGY AND CONGREGATIONS,
The church relations of Mr. Walsh and family were for many years with St. John's parish, but of late they worship with the St. Patrick congregation. He served as trustee of his church for some time, and has otherwise been actively identified with charitable and religious movements. Mrs. Walsh is a member of the Altar society of St. Patrick's and Miss Maggie belongs to the Young Ladies' sodality.
P ATRICK B. WALSH, a representative business man of Terre Haute, of which he is a native son, was born at the old family residence, No. 815 North Fifth street, November 25, 1864, to James and Johanna (Breen) Walsh, natives, respectively, of counties Limerick and Tipperary, Ireland, but who were married in Terre Haute, in which city both died, the father in 1883, and the mother in December, 1889. For more than twenty-five years James Walsh represented the great lumber interests of T. B. Johns, and traveled extensively throughout Indiana and a number of other states, doing a large and lucrative business. He and family were members of St. Joseph parish, Terre Haute, and for quite a num- ber of years he served as presiding officer of the Hibernian Benev- olent society of this city.
Patrick B. Walsh was reared in the old Fourth, now the Sixth ward, and received his educational training in the public and parochial schools, which he attended at intervals until his sixteenth year, when he began life upon his own responsibility as clerk in a shoe store, in which capacity he continued two years. Later he spent some time in the rolling-mills of Terre Haute, but this work not being to his liking, he abandoned the same and accepted a position with the grocery firm of Pierce & McGrew, with whom he spent two years, becoming familiar with the business in the mean- time. In 1876 he engaged in the grocery trade for himself at the corner of Fourth and Chestnut streets, but later removed his stock to the corner of Lafayette and Third streets, where he did a thriv- ing business until locating at Nos. 305, 307 and 309 North Fourth street, which he subsequently disposed of to his partner, agreeing to remain out of the business for three years, for the latter's interest.
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This time Mr. Walsh spent keeping books and collecting for his brother-in-law, but at the expiration of the period, in 1896, he opened his present grocery business in the Rose Dispensary build- ing, corner of Seventh and Cherry streets, where he now operates one of the largest retail establishments of the kind in the city.
Mr. Walsh was married June 6, 1891, to Miss Winifred Con- nelly, who for seven years was a teacher in the public schools of Terre Haute; she was born in this city in the year 1867, and is the daughter of John Connelly. Mr. and Mrs. Walsh have had no children born to them, but are rearing the following: Winifred, John, Margaret, Mamie, James and Cornelius, who were born to Mr. and Mrs. John Connelly.
Mr. Walsh was elected in May, 1892, as a democrat, to repre- sent the Sixth ward in the city council, where he has exerted a potent influence in bringing about important municipal legislation; he was re-elected in May, 1896, and at this time is serving on the committees on streets and alleys, fire and finance. He and family are active members of St. Joseph parish; he belongs to the A. O. H., of which he is serving as county president, and is a leading member of the Jefferson club of Terre Haute.
T' THOMAS WALSH, deceased, one of the pioneer members of St. Anthony's parish, Haughville (now part of Indianapolis), was born in county Galway, Ireland, on the 10th day of Decem- ber, 1836. His father, Patrick Walsh, also a native of the afore- said county, died when Thomas was a small child, and when he had reached the age of twelve years the widowed mother removed to Staffordshire, England. Thomas attended school until fifteen years old, and being remarkably intelligent for one of his age, made rapid and substantial progress in his various studies. In his sixteenth year, he was put to the trade of lockpattern making, at which he served an apprenticeship until twenty-one, and followed his chosen calling during the remaining years of his life.
Mr. Walsh was married April 23, 1860, in the church of Sts. Peter and Paul's, Wolverhampton, England, to Eliza Corran, a
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THE CLERGY AND CONGREGATIONS,
native of county Roscommon, Ireland, born in the month of Jan- uary, 1842. Mrs. Walsh's parents were John and Bridget Corran, who lived in their native Ireland all their lives. Mrs. Walsh was the only child of her parents, as her husband was of his.
In the fall of 1865, Mr. Walsh came to America, leaving his family in the old world until such a time as he could send for them. Landing in New York city, he soon afterward found employment at his trade in New Britain, Conn., and four years later sent for his wife and two children, who, in due time, joined him at that place. In 1881, the family removed to Cleveland, Ohio, thence four years later came to Indianapolis, where Mr. Walsh continued working at his trade until his death, which occurred the 7th of September, 1891.
Mr. Walsh, as a pioneer of St. Anthony parish, was a liberal contributor of his means towards its prosperity. He was possessed of a good education and much general intelligence, and his death was an event greatly deplored not only by the church, of which he was for so many years a valued member, but by all who knew him. His widow and six children survive him, and one child died in England. Thomas P., the eldest, is a resident of Nawgatuck, Conn. Mrs. Lizzie L. Colbert, the second in order of birth, is also a resident of the same place; Agnes, the third, is a graduate of the Indianapolis high school and a successful teacher in the public schools of the city; Nellie, also a graduate of the high school, is employed as a bookkeeper; Alice attended the same school until the senior year, and is now a stenographer; Frank J., the youngest, is still a student. All the family are worthy mem- bers of Father Dowd's congregation, and are among the most faithful parishioners of St. Anthony's. Mrs. Walsh resides at No. 175 Sheffield avenue, where she owns property and is highly respected by all her neighbors.
C HARLES A. WALTER, a prominent merchant and well- known citizen of Huntington, Ind., was born in canton Berne, Switzerland, February 19, 1852, a son of John A. and Catherine
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(Kohler) Walter, who were, it is hardly necessary to say, natives of the same canton.
John A. Walter was born in 1812, was educated in the Cath- olic parochial schools, which he attended until fourteen years of age, following which he filled out the usual term of three years in the military service of the republic. After being discharged from this inevitable duty, he became secretary for a foreign nobleman, and for six years traveled with him extensively, visiting France, Germany, Italy, and even into Africa. On his return to Switzer- land, he married, in 1845, Miss Kohler, and in 1855 came, with his wife and children, to America, landing in New York city, whence he came to Adams county, Ind., with no delay, and engaged in farming in French township. Here he lost his wife in 1891, and nere his own death occurred in October, 1892. Both were devout Catholics, and their remains were interred in the Catholic cemetery in Bluffton, in the adjoining county of Wells.
Charles A. Walter attended the public schools of French town- ship, Adams county, Ind., from early childhood (having been a babe in arms when brought here) until seventeen years of age, assisted his father on the home farm during this interval, and afterward until he reached the age of twenty-two years, when he started on his business career in life by entering Komblith's clothing store in Bluffton, where he was employed for five years, and thus secured a good practical insight of business affairs. He then came to Huntington and formed a partnership in the drug trade, under the firm-name of Jaquemai & Walter, which was carried on until 1883, when the firm name was exchanged for that of Walter & Eizen- hauer, but this firm was dissolved in 1887, and Mr. Walter remained quiescent, as far as business was concerned, until January 1, 1889. He then traveled as a salesman, handling perfumery, etc., for two years, his employer being E. N. Leighton, and next traveled one year for Clarke Bros. & Co., lamp manufacturers, of New Jersey. In 1892 he represented, on the road, Peter Van Schaack & Sons, druggists of Chicago, and in 1893 returned to Huntington, Ind., engaged in the drug business on his own account, and this he has since conducted with satisfactory results.
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