John Newton Walker and Three of His Children--Mary, Lola, and Harry

Left to right: John Newton, Mary, Lola, and Harry Walker. Cabinet cards of the three children were all done by Ralph D. Beem, 35 East Third Street, Greenville, Ohio.

 

John Newton Walker was born 24 January 1859 in Darke County, Ohio, the son of John Walker (born circa 1805) and Analiza (last name unknown, born circa 1826, John’s second wife). On 16 April 1890, he married Nellie G. Keefauver (born circa 1869) and the couple would have at least six children. John and Nellie would farm 80 plus acres in the Adams, Darke, Ohio area through the 1920 census. In the 1930 and 1940 censuses, John Newton Walker had retired and was living in Adams with Nellie and daughter Mary Walker. He passed away on 4 February 1949.

 

Mary Walker was born 3 March 1892 in Greenville, Darke County, Ohio. She never married and lived with her parents and later her widowed father through the 1940 census. She remained in Greenville until she passed away on 7 April 1975. (On the verso was the following: 1894, 2 years and three months old, weight - 40 lbs., Mary Walker, Greenville.)

 

Mary’s sister, Lola Walker, was born 9 August 1899 in Darke County, and she too never married. Lola lived with parents through the 1920 census, and then she relocated to Richmond, Indian with her older sister Helen Walker; both worked as seamstresses at Adam H. Bartel Company, which produced workman’s clothes, overalls, and denim. After Helen married Ray Slade, Lola continued to live with Helen in Richmond and worked at Bartel’s, where she was still working in 1955. She eventually returned to Greenville, where she passed away on 10 September 1970. (On the verso: Lola Walker, Greenville.)

 

Mary’s brother, Harry Newton Walker, was born 27 September 1901 in Adams, Darke, Ohio. On 25 January 1916, Harry passed away, suffering from acute articular rheumatism, complicated by endocarditis. (On the verso: Harry Walker, 1 year and 2 months old; weight - 30 lbs. Greenville.)

 

Photographer Ralph Douglas Beem was born 29 June 1860 in Newark, Ohio, the son of Isaiah Knox Beem (1829-1899) and Eliza S. Pitzer (1837-1889). Ralph grew up on a farm with his four siblings in Jersey, Licking County, Ohio. In 1870, the family had real estate valued at $11,000 and a personal estate of $2,000. In the early 1880's, Ralph went to Cleveland, Ohio to study photographer under James F. Ryder and James H. Copeland; he was listed as a photo operator in their studio in the mid-1880's. In 1887, he established a studio in Greenville, Darke County, Ohio, where he would remain until sometime after 1910. He was married circa 1890 to Lohru Kitner (1867-1942) and the couple would have two sons. In 1920, the couple was living in Detroit, Michigan with their son Ira Kitner Beem and his family; Ralph was working as a "factory storekeeper". Ralph and Lohru relocated to Portland, Oregon, where Ralph returned to photography, as indicated in the 1930 census. By 1940, Ralph was retired, and his other son, Robert, and his wife Dorothy, were operating a studio in Portland. Ralph Beem passed away on 13 August 1940.

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