Bio: Walter, Otto Friedrich (1844 - 1941)

Contact: Stan
Email: stan@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Walter, Schoengarth, Degerter, Jansen, Schield, Belden

----Source: Greenwood Public Library, original copy owned by Jean Rolstad

Otto Friedrich Walter (30 Sep 1844 - 19-Jan 1941)

Otto Friedrich Walter Farm

Among the early farmers in the Town of Grant were Mr. and Mrs. Otto F. Walter. Both natives of Germany, they came to the United States with their parents as young children. The Walter family settled in Washington. County, near West Bend. The Schoengarth family came to Clark county, Augusta Schoengartfa was 18 and Otto Walter 29 when they were married on Dec. 26, 1873. They began their married life in a one-room log cabin on Mr. Walter's 80 acre farm in the Town of Grant. Their first child, Hulda Degerter, was horn in this cabin. As their family grew and they acquired and cleared more land, they built a larger home.

The brick home (now occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Fred Jansen) was built in 1896. Their fancily grew to seven children: Hulda, Albert, Ida, Melvina, Otto, Selma, and Pauline. Their farm grew to 120 acres.
They sold their farm in 1914 to Frank Schield and moved to Neillsville in September of that year. Mrs. Walter died in 1939 and Mr. Walter in 1940 -- at that time, he was the oldest man in Clark county. Their only surviving daughter, Mrs. Pauline Belden, now lives in Dickinson, North Dakota.

Family Notes

1900 Federal Census, ED 20 Grant town, Clark, Wisconsin, United States, pg. 12, family 225

Otto F Walter, white male

Married, 27 yrs.
estimated marriage year: 1873
father's birthplace: Germany
mother's birthplace: Germany
race or color (standardized): White
gender: Male
immigration year: 1855

Household Members
head Otto F Walter M 55 (Sep 1845) Germany
wife Augusta Walter F 45 (Sep 1855) Germany, 7 children - 6 living
son Albert Walter M 23 (Aug 1877) Wisconsin
daughter Melvina Walter F 18 (Mar 1882) Wisconsin
daughter Selma Walter F 15 (May 1885) Wisconsin
son Otto Walter M 17 (Dec 1883) Wisconsin
daughter Paulina Walter F 13 (Feb 1887) Wisconsin

1940 Federal Census, Neillsville, Neillsville City, Clark, Wisconsin, United States, enumeration district number: 10-29, family 384, line 71

Otto F Walter, white, widowed, male
estimated birth year: 1845
residence in 1935: Same House

family number: 384
sheet number and letter: 17B
line number: 71

Household Members
head Albert H Degener M 70 Germany
wife Hulda Degener F 65 Wisconsin
father-in-law Otto F Walter M 95 Germany
son-in-law Lucins A Allen M 61 Ohio
granddaughter Patricia Allen F 13 Wisconsin
grandson Sheldon A Allen M 10 North Dakota

Wisconsin Marriage Records

Albert Degener
groom's birthplace: Germany
bride's name: Hulda Agnes Carton
bride's birthplace: Grant, Clark, Wis.
marriage date: 30 Jan 1901
marriage place: Clark, Wisconsin
groom's father's name: Friedrich Degener
groom's mother's name: Louise Plathner
bride's father's name: Otto Walter
bride's mother's name: Auguste Shoengarth
groom's race: White
bride's race: White