Scott Walker
| Scott Walker | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1893 |
| Spouse | Columbia Powelson (m. 1918) |
| Children |
Robert Walker Scott Walker Jr. Cara Walker |
| Parents | Henry Allen Walker |
Source: http://www.lapella.net/wordstorywalkeriowacitizen.doc
- Scott died at 71 after working for the Federal Trade Commission in Washington D.C.
- Cara (the information on Cara was corrected in a later addition of the newspaper. The following was not in the original article.) Worked for Western Union for many years. She married Harold Brehm and they moved to Seattle, WA. He worked for Boeing for 18 years. In 1974 they moved to Mountain Home, ID. Cara was honored for her work with Camp Fire and the American Legion. They moved back to Seattle, WA in 1999. See the “Story: on Harold and Cara Brehm” on my Website, under the “BREHM” webpage.
- Robert is the guy helping to tell this story.
Biography[1][edit]
SCOTT AND COLUMBIA POWELSON WALKER
Scott and Columbia met in college. They both graduated from college. Scott was third highest in his math class. I do not know their major but Columbia had a minor in English. They were married at Colfax, Iowa on April 8, 1918 at Grace and Ott Metsker’s home. The weather was terrible that day.
They started their life together on his mother’s farm twelve miles southeast of Iowa City, Iowa. It was said their children were born in the same house where Scott was born.
Columbia was very upset with Scott for not using his education. He chose to stay near his mother and the farm. Scott was an even-tempered person and whenever there was a conflict he wouldn’t say anything. He would just go to the barn and do some work that needed doing. Scott didn’t like to argue and that really frustrated Columbia. Scott’s mother lived with them for many years. His mother, being short, put all items in the kitchen at her level and Columbia being 5’10” had a problem adjusting.
Their firstborn was Scott Allen II, born November 3, 1919.
Not long after Scott was born Columbia became pregnant with twins. One of the fetuses died before birth, poisoning her whole system and the other baby. Living in the country with only midwives, Columbia nearly died. It was a long struggle back to health and it was said she even went out into the fields to help with the work in this poor condition. Columbia did not wish to raise one child alone so, when she was able, they decided to increase their family.
Their second son was born September 30, 1926, named Robert Joseph.
Their daughter was born April 15, 1928, named Carrie Ruth, for her grandmother. Columbia did not like that name so she immediately started calling her Cara (meaning “dear” in Latin). Audrey Smith Learned assisted and helped Columbia at that time.
Scott Allen I took sick in the middle of the night. It was said that he sat up in bed and said, “Did you see that light?” It was thought he had seen a flying saucer. There were articles in the paper about one being seen. From that point on he became delirious and was taken to the mental institution in Mount Pleasant. It was the only facility that could take him at that time. Scott II took Bob and Cara across the fields to the neighbors,
Fountains, in the middle of the night. Nine days later, April 5, 1934, he passed away of a blood clot on the brain.
When Scott I died his mother, Carrie, bought the tombstone, as Columbia didn’t have the money to pay for one. However, the wrong birth year was put on it. According to his death certificate, he was born in 1893. Columbia was very unhappy about this, but there was no money to correct the error. After Scott died, Columbia stayed on the family farm and worked hard to keep it in the family for her children.
Columbia had a very hard time supporting the three children and after Scott II graduated from High School in Lone Tree, Iowa, so she moved the family to Iowa City. She got a job as a cook at a restaurant so Scott II could attend college at the University of Iowa. Columbia was a firm believer in further education. While living in Iowa City for one and half years she became so worried about her two young children she decided to return to the farm and do the best she could. She was so concerned about the children that she couldn’t hold a job very long.
In June 1939, when we returned to the farm, Scott decided he wanted his share of his grandmother’s estate. Columbia bought him out in the names of Bob & Cara.
Columbia had a very hard time financially to meet all her obligations. She rented the land to a classmate of Scott II, Ray and Harry Swanson, on shares. Ray and his brothers farmed the land for several years. Bob farmed it while he was in high school, but when he went into the army Harry Jarrard farmed it. Later on it was farmed by Fred Goody.
In 1952 Columbia went to Scottsbluff, Nebraska to visit Cara. While there she took a practical nursing job taking care of Conrad Bastron in Bayard, Nebr. After several months they decided to marry and they lived at his place in Bayard, Nebr. In Oct. 1953 Conrad passed away. Upon his passing Columbia moved back to the farm in Iowa. In Nov. Cara, having resigned her job at Western Union, helped Columbia with the move and fix the house for the winter weather.
In August 1954 Columbia drove to Moscow, Idaho to see Scott II and Polly. In November she went to Seattle to be with Cara when her first child was born. She stayed in Seattle until about March, but she was anxious to be on her way. (Cara & Harold had only a small apartment at 5634 Leo St.) She got back to Scott and Polly’s and took ill. She recovered from her illness and was anxious to get back to the farm. Scott, worrying about her driving insisted Joyce drive with her. Joyce, the oldest grandchild, had just gotten her driver’s license. When school was out they headed across country enjoying the trip. Joyce stayed the summer with her grandmother, then returned home in time for school.
In October 1954, Columbia was visiting her sister Grace Metsker at Keokuk, Iowa, when she took sick in the middle of the night. Grace had her taken to the hospital in Keokuk. She called Scott, who was getting his masters degree in Ames, Iowa at the time. Cara and Sally came from Seattle. Bob and Polly all came to Keokuk. Columbia was in a coma for five days and died of cerebral hemorrhage and blood clot on the brain October 17, 1954. She was buried at the Walker cemetery beside her first husband in Johnson county Iowa.
Almost all the living relatives of Scott I family attended the funeral.
SCOTT ALLEN WALKER I He attended, Iowa City High school and the University of Iowa, where he graduated in 1914. He also attended Iowa State College at Ames, graduating in 1916. Scott graduated 2nd in his class in college. However, he never used his education. He went back to the farm as a farmer. Columbia was a bit upset with him for this. Scott was a very patient man. Columbia said that Scott was a very strong man. He could lift 1 end of a log by himself and the other end would need 2 or 3 men. For more info on the Walker Family, read: Lone Tree, IA, The Pioneers and their descendants. (Inquire: Farmers & Merchants Savings Bank, Lone Tree IA) From: James Opfell: ‘According to the letter I got from Iowa State, your grandfather was enrolled in Agricultural Economics. He entered in Nov 1914, after being at the State Univ. of Iowa for a year or two. He lived at 915 E. Washington in Iowa City. JIM O’
COLUMBIA POWELSON WALKER
Columbia grew up in a large family. There was a saying in the family, when asked how large was the family, the answer was “It was so large, that each of the 9 sisters had 2 brothers.” Her father was a Circuit Methodist minister. There were 5 churches he worked with. Her sister Ethel wrote many books about the family.
The story goes, that when she was born, they couldn’t think of a name for her, because all the names were used up for her sisters. One day, soon after a new baby girl was born, Julie’s father called or wrote and invited her to come to Chicago, IL to the Columbian
Exposition at the worlds fair. Julia decided to take the baby with her. When she got off the train, Dr. Buell said “You can’t see the fair with a baby.” So he took the baby to a daycare. They asked the name of the baby, and he didn’t know. So he said Columbia, from the Columbian Exposition. They asked for a middle name; he thought for a minute (he was a great admirer of Queen Isabella) and he said Isabella for her middle name. That is how Columbia got her name. She always said “what a name to tack onto a little baby”. Twenty-four letters in her full name. Columbia Isabella Powelson. They sometimes called her “Col”. Also in college, they would call her Polly.
She was 5ft. 10 in. tall. Loved crossword puzzles and loved to read. Columbia always had a story to tell and she loved reading books. She always said, she was the youngest of a large family and never had a chance to talk as a child. So as an adult, she was making up for lost time. She would say she could get high on a cup of coffee, so why pay for booze. Every summer Columbia’s brothers and sisters would get together for a family reunion. The reunion was usually at the Walker farm, Grace Metsker’s in Keokuk, IA or Mary Warhurst’s in Mount Pleasant, because they were the most centrally located.
This is from: Uncle Robert (Bob): When Columbia and her mother homesteaded in Caldwell, Idaho, Columbia taught school for two years and then after she married and was living on the farm she was a substitute teacher for a period of time.”
Photos[edit]
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