Ina May Day Wlker grew up in Tiverton, Coshocton, Ohio and was a high school graduate. She was just under five feet in height and plump. She had strawberry londe hair and pale blue eyes. She was raised in the Christian Church. She was a deeply religious woman but reserved and dignified in demeanor. All of her five sons greatly loved and respected her. She always said she had fallen in love with a doctor but married a Minister. Although she had day maids who came in to take care of most of the housekeeping, she did all the cooking and was a great cook. She enjoyed handwork. She painted in oils, mostly landscapes. She was an accomplished pianist. One of her lifetime hobbies was to make room-sized rag rugs. For several years prior to her marriage, she operated a millinery shop next to her father's sore at Tiverton. For the fun of it, for years Ina made hats for herself and a few friends. I can tell you they were some kind of hats. She was a leader in Church of Christ women's organizations both locally and nationally.
She and Wilmer were married in her father's home. Wilmer's father, Lewis performed he marriage ceremony. That same afternoon they traveled to Hiram College where Wilmer was to start his ministerial studies.
Ina and Wilmer died in in Columbus, Franklin, Ohio. They are buried together just outside of Columbus at Galloway, Ohio in the Sunset Cemetery.
Reverend Wilmer Russell WALKER
From the memoirs of Joseph Walker with help from Waldo:
Wilmer grew up on the Walker family farm at the edge of Tiverton. His father expected Wilmer to perform all the usual chores carried out by farm boys as well as to attend the one room school nearby. To supplement his formal education, his mother insisted he read history, Shakespeare and classic Greek literature at home.
In 1888, at the age of 19, he became master of the little red school house near Tiverton. He was the only teacher and taught all grades. His pay was whatever the parents could afford.
After two years, intendig to become a physician, Wilmer enrolled at Tri-State College near Angola, Indiana. For the next three years he studied medicine. But in 1893, at the age of 24, he changed his mind and decided to make his father's avocation his vocation. Wilmer entered Hiram College at Hiram, Ohio to study for the ministry.
In 1895, with his young wife, Wilmer traveled to New York to study at Columbia University. In 1897, at the age of 28, he obtained a Master of Theology degree.
In 1898, he bought a farm near Killbuck in Holmes County, Ohio just north of Tiverton. All of his children were born on this farm. Wilmer kept ownership of thei farm for 62 years until 1960 when he finally sold it because all of his sons became citified and did not want to live in the country.
For the next seventeen years, between 1898 and 1914, he served several small country churches in and around Coshocton, Ohio. At the same time, like Lewis, Wilmer's livelihood was earned by the buying and selling of farms. Within a fourteen year span he bought and then sold eight farms. Wilmer said, "each time I managed a considerable profit, buying for cash and selling be taking back a mortgage, and then after a year or two selling the seasoned mortgage at a small discount."
At the age of 46 Wilmer temporarily left the ministry in 1915 to accept a professorship at Bethany College in West Virginia (Bethany College is about 80 miles due East of Coshocton). He stayed until 1918 when, uncomfortable with the school's growing humanism, he left to start his own church in Columbus, Ohio. for an initial church building, in 1920, Wilmer bought an old house two blocks from the edge of the Ohio State University campus. His strategy was to build a church membership from the student body. The LORD JESUS blessed his ministry mightily. With just three college students as the starting total membership, over the remainder of the decade the Indianola Church of Christ (which still exists) acquired three entire city blocks upon which was built, for that day, one of the nation's most modern church plants. Everything, including a sanctuary seating eight hundred persons, and a fully equipped four story recreation building with numerous meeting rooms as well as twenty classrooms, a huge dining hall and kitchen, and a gymnasium that had a five hundred person spectator seating capacity, with a stage at one end making it convertible into an auditorium easily seating a thousand people.
By 1929, weekly Sunday School attendance averaged about eight hundred people. Most of the congregation were college students, professionals and executives with young families. Indianola was a spiritually powerful church and socially and politically influential as well. For 28 years Wilmer served as its ruling elder until at the age of 79 he resigned in 1948.
In 1929, when Wilmer was 59, he and two other eminent Church of Christ clergymen acquired a majority of the capital stock of the Standard Publishing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its customer base was principally Christian Church/Church of Christ churches. Is literature therefore, was mostly slanted toward Alexander Campbell's simple evangelical christianity which was opposed to speculative theology and emotional revivalism. However, at that time, it also was one of the nation's leading contract printers of every kind of church books and literature. The three clergymen feared this output could eventually be mixed with Church of Christ literature and taint the denomination's thinking.
In 1935 they sold their stock to a family whose members were Chruch of Christ affiliated, with the proviso Wilmer was to be President and receive a five thousand dollar annual salary. Because of Wilmer's national eminence and influence with Church of Christ churches, he was hoever more than a mere figurehead. For 25 years he set theological publication policy until his resignation in 1960 at the age of 90. Several years later, Standard Publishing was merged with a large publishing conglomerate.
Wilmer was not only an astute churchman but also a business man. Over the years, besided real estate, he invested in various mining stocks as well as oil and gas leases. From time to time, he gave his five sons financial advice and assistance, and used his influence to further their various careers. About five years before his death, Wilmer closed out his numerous savings accounts and liquidated most of his other assets. He gifted the cash sum of thirty five thousand dollars to each of his sons, which in 1960 was a considerable amount of money. The greater portion he gave to several Church of Christ affiliated orphanages.
My [Joe Walker] grandfather was born with blue eyes and auburn hair. By the age of 30, hoever, Wilmer's hair was greying and he was almost bald. Wilmer was always frail looking but throughout his life was singularly free from ordinary sickness and disease. In fact, until his 93rd year he was mentally sharp and perfectly capable of traveling and speaking publicly. He was five feet eight inches in height and weighed less than one hundred forty pounds. He never used profaity. He did not smoke or chew or drink. He was a active prohibitionist.
Above all else, Wilmer was iron-willed. He sincerely believed he could acomplish any task to which he set his mind. He was widely respected and admired in both curch and secular circles for his integrity, acumen and wisdom. He wrote hundreds of short articles dealing with church themes that regularly appeared in the Christian Standard, a national church newspaper. In addition, he wrote Sunday School guidebooks which wee published by Standard Publishing Company. He regularly wrote letters combining religion and politics to the editors of secular newspapers; these were frequently published. He was a Republican Party organizer and supported its candidates from the pulpit as well as at political rallies. When the State of Ohio rewrote its constitution, Wilmer was the only clergyman to serve on the guidance committee. He was a Scottish Rite Freemason.
Wilmer was especially sought after as a lecturer by both secular and religious groupw. He ordinarily spoke in a pleasant, humorous but dignified manner. However, when speaking of the love of God through CHRIST JESUS, he sometimes found it difficult to remain unemotional and keep back tears. He had a way of making many of his theological, political and social points through the use of anecdotal stories. Some of them were hilariously funny; the people in his audience would literally fall out of their seats laughing. But years later they would retell those stories to make the same points. He was a self taught musician. He played both the trumpet and violin and could read and write music. He also could sing and did so well into advanced age. His personal library and study took up all the third floor of his spacious home. At his death three thousand volumes were donated to Milligan College.
Like his father, Lewis, Wilmer never borrowed money nor mortgaged his property. He paid cash for everything. Throughout most of his adulthood he bought a new automobile each year. For him it was a tool necessary to his vocation. As he became more and more affluent, he bought bigger and more expensive automobiles. Toward the end of his life, he bought nothing every year but the most luxurious Oldsmobiles. He had a clergyman-like wardrobe; all black suits- but an extensive number- which were tailor-made from the finest materials. He wore hand made white linen shirts with French cuffs and stiff starched, high collars and silk ties with a large diamond stick pin.
Wilmer's normal daily routine was to be up at 5 am and into his study preparing notes for sermons and lectures as well as general reading, study and answering correspondence. He was proficient with a typewriter and did all his own secretarial work. About 8:30 am he would go out to visit shut-ins and the sick both in homes and hospitals. At noon he came home for lunch which was light meal. Whenever possible after lunch, for most of his adult life, he took a short nap. Then he was off to the church to meet with staff and people who came to see him there.
Dinner time was the main meal of the day. The family was expected to be there and dinner guests were common place. The usual conversation was about religion, politics and business. No gossip about church or family members was permitted. After dinner, Wilmer once again went out on visitation or, if he had no speaking engagement, he went back to the church to look in on all the activities that went on every evening seven days a week. Usually he was home in bed by 11 pm.
From 1948 at the age of 80 until his death in 1964 at age 93 like his father Lewis, Wilmer annually traveled all over the nation to speak at a dozen or so church events. He had hundreds of acquaintances and unusual name recall ability. Even at an advanced age, he could frequently by name greet people he haad not seen for many years. Privately, he was a solitary but perfectly happy person who over the years did not cultivate any truly close personal relationships. The only exception was his wife. An yet throughout the course of his life, he introduced thousands of people to God's righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. At his death, hundreds of people from all over the world and every walk of life telegraphed, telephoned and wrote to express their grief and sense of personal loss.
Wilmer married Elias Edwin "E.E." Day's daughter, Ina May, in the home of the bride's parents on September 19, 1893. Lewis performed the marriage ceremony. That same afternoon they traveled to Hiram College.
At the age of 85, Ina died in Columbus, Ohio on January 23, 1956. Wilmer and Ina had been married for 63 years. Wilmer lived another seven years and often remarked how much he missed Ina May.
At the age of 94 Wilmer died in Columbus on February 2, 1963. They are buried together just outside of Columbus at Galloway, Ohio in the Sunset Cemetery. --------------------------------------------------------------------- ARTICLE: THE REVEREND DR WILMER R WALKER, 93, PASTOR EMERITUS OF THE INDIANOLA CHURCH OF CHRIST, AND ONE-TIME CHAPLAIN OF THE OHIO HOUSE OF REPRESNTATIVES, DIES Publication: Columbus Dispatch Date: 02/03/1963 Page: 4 A ============================== OBITUARY: Publication: Columbus Dispatch Date: 02/03/1963 Page: 4 A SUBJECT(s):WALKER, WILMER R (REV) --------------------------------------------------------------------- COSHOCTON COUNTY, OHIO
Tiverton Center School District #3 Tiverton Township Became Tiverton Special School District 1909
January 4, 1834 John and Elizabeth Holt, James and Elizabeth Draper, Henry and Mary Miller and James and Ann Conner conveyed land for a schoolhouse and meeting house described as the northeast corner of the SE1/4 Section 13, Township 7, Range 9 (7-501).
There was certainly a school in a log schoolhouse operating by 1839 when the enumeration was reported as 39.
Teachers by school years with pay 1856 W.R. Kinsey $66 Lewis Powelson $27 1857 Lewis Powelson $27 A.J. Hyatt $60 1858 Abraham J. Cummings $91 was also postmaster at Yankee Ridge 1858. 1859 Minerva Harrison $31 Abraham J. Cummings $58 1860 R.W. Leggett $59 J.W. Winslow $45
By 1858 there was need for a new schoolhouse at Tiverton Center. At the April 19, 1858 School Board meeting a motion to erect a new schoolhouse in District #3 with the privilege of levying a sufficient amount to complete the building the next spring, was carried. At their next meeting, May 21, 1858 the contract for building the schoolhouse in District #3 was rejected, and a tax levied for the building withdrawn. At the April 1860 meeting, the motion to build a new schoolhouse in this District again failed. But by April 15, 1861 the Board voted to proceed to erect a new schoolhouse 26 x 24, and a committee of Isaac Beam, R.D. Barr and George Stringfellow was appointed to build the schoolhouse. A total of $325 was levied in the District and Township for building the new schoolhouse.
1861 W.B. Barton $27 D.R. Campbell $45 died in Iowa 1868 1862 Annie O. White (Wolfe) $54 Delilah E. Brillhart (McCoy) $30 1863 Sarah E. Church (Buchanan) 1838-1915 R.W. Leggett $74 1864 D.R. Campbell $70 Rosella Winslow (Sapp) $52
Directors of Tiverton Center School 1853-92, many of whom served several terms: William Winslow John E. Hays Zachariah Hays George Stringfellow Amos Tarrh Samuel B. Stringfelow John Philip Stillinger Simon Tarrh L.C. Langford J.W. Holt Jasper Smith Abraham Conner J.W. Neville E.E. Day Solomon Robinson L.G. Walker H.W. Winslow R.D. Barr Isaac Underhill J.J. Gamertsfelder W.E. McFarland John Lower J.I. Purdy J.P. Fry
1865 D.R. Campbell $70 1866 s Sarah A. Borden $45 w J.J. Kinsey $79 1867 Matthew Waters w Sarah A. Borden 1868 s Jennie Weeks 1850- w Jane Weeks 1869 s Sarah E. Buchanan w Rosella Winslow (Sapp) 1869: James Conner to furnish the lumber and build a fence around schoolhouse for $20. 1870 s Louisa B. Borden w Sarah E. Buchanan 1871 Joseph Ferenbaugh 1872 s Louisa B. Borden w John Wagner 1834-1919 summer: Belle Simpson 1873 s Mollie A. Swigert w John A. Lonsinger 1847-1918 1874 Sarah E. Buchanan 1875 s Lucy McKee w George W. Ganmble died 1892
The School Board at its meeting, January 17, 1876 granted privilege of schoolhouse in District #3 for any religious exercises, Sabbath School, etc. so long as said house is taken care of. Directs directors to have the school house open every Sabbath during the present summer.
1876 s Theresa Drummond (Underhill) w Levi Gamble 1838-1890 1877 s Sarah Day w Joshua Ferenbaugh 1878 J.I. Purdy, both terms 1851-1935 1879 s Sarah Day w James I. Purdy 1880 s Theresa Drummond (Underhill) w George W. Mohler 1881 Stuart Bailey - Enumeration: 58 youth 1882 s George W. Mohler w Joseph B. Severns 1856-1935 1883 s Daniel Speck 1859-1930 1884 s Ida F. Winslow (Severns) w Grant Wheeler 1864-1935 1885 s Della Nichols (Little) w W.S. Pigman 1860-1936 1887 s Matilda Weeks (Mrs.) d. 1926 w James L. Meredith d. 1898
from the Democratic Standard March 18, 1887: "About 12 citizens of the Township presented a petition praying for the erection of a building suitable for a Select School house at Tiverton Center. The Board took the matter under consideration, and decided adversely to the project by a vote of 6 to 1." 1888 s Emma Weeks dau. of Mrs. Matilda Weeks w J.W. Cole 1889 Wilmer R. Walker (Rev.) 1869-1956 1890 s Ollie Hughes (Wheeler)
from the Democratic Standard, May 2, 1890: "The Board of Education of Tiverton Township by a vote of 8 to 1 will build a new schoolhouse in District #3. The citizens of the Township will raise money by donation if possible, for a second story to be used as a Select School. We wish the citizens success."
At the April 21, 1889 meeting of the School Board when they voted to build a new Tiverton Center schoolhouse, a committee on specifications was appointed consisting of Amos Tarrh, J.A. Lonsinger and J.F. Smith. The Board granted citizens of the Township the privilege of putting a second story on the schoolhouse. At the April 1890 meeting the speifications were accepted and it was determined to ask for sealed bids. A motion to put a belfry on the schoolhouse carried, limiting the cost of the bell to $10. The bid of Amos Tarrh was accepted with the understanding that it would be finished before December 1, 1890. Fashion seats were to be used in the new schoolhouse.
At the June 6, 1890 meeting of the School Board, a new site for the Tiverton Center School was determined - "on the Spring Mountain road east, or on the Walhonding road south of Tiverton Center." At their next meeting, July 28, 1890 a motion to reconsider the site, lost, but a motion to change the shape of the site carried.
April 20, 1891 the School Board leased the site for the new Tiverton Center School from William and Thomas Winslow - one acre out of the northeast corner of section 13, Tiverton Township, for as long as used for school purposes.
May 23, 1891 the Building Committee reported that Amos W. Tarrh had completed the new schoolhouse according to specifications, and the School Board then officially accepted the building. The following payments were made for the new schoolhouse: 1891 - W.H. Winslow for site $200; Samuel Borden for fence $49.50; Amos Tarrh - building $270; Bell $10; Desks $48.90; Anatomical Aid $37.50
At their meeting August 31, 1891 the following texts for use in the Tiverton Township schools were selected by the School Board: McGuffey Revised Eclectic Reader - and also Speller Harvey's Revised English Grammar Ray's Arithmetic Ellsworth System of Penmanship Barnes. History Ohio Copy Book Eclectice Geography Hutchinson's Physiology E.E. Day (the storekeeper) was to be contracted with to furnish the texts for sale. 1890 w S.H. Richard - Enumeration 60 1891 s J.W. Cole w William H. Thompson 1892 s Wilmer R. Walker w B.F. Barnes 1894 s Laura Sapp (Stover) 1895 s Clarence E. Day 1874-1965 - was Postmaster at Tiverton 1905. In 1908, 4 weeks after he bought the general store there, it burned. w Anna Almack
from the Democratic Standard, July 24, 1896: "The grand masquerade and ice cream festival on the new school house grounds last Saturday evening at Tiverton, came off according to program and proved a grand success."
1897 Sylvia Almack 1876-1952 New stove caps purchased. 1898 Byron Meredith - was graduated Warsaw High School 1898 1899 & 1900 Robert L. Boyd, 1872-1961. Later he was in the U.S. Postal Service where he served until retirement. New stove and stove pipe for School costing $15.95.
Beginning 1901 Tiverton Center School was no longer a one-room school, so only its general history will be given.
from the Democratic Standard, April 9, 1904: "Notice of Hearing of application for special school district in Tiverton Township, Coshocton County, Ohio. Notice is hereby given that on the 21st day of March 1904, John E. Gays, (died 1933) and others filed in the Probate Court their petition alleging a refusal of the Board of Education of Tiverton Township to establish a special school district in said Township and praying for the establishment of a special school district. T.S. Sharpless, William Graham and R.A. McClure have been appointed commissioners to hear said petition, said commissioners to meet in schoolhouse in District #3, 4th May 1904 at 4 o'clock. Russell L. Donley, Judge."
July 4, 1904: "The voters of the special school district organized in Tiverton Township recently, assembled and elected J.J. Gamertsfelder as chairman and Charles McDonald as Secretary. The object of the meeting was to make final arrangements for the election of the five directors to be held at Tiverton July 11th. Everything that can be done toward making the special school district a success is being pushed. Every voter is earnestly desired to attend on that day - July 11th - as they can help the matter along."
Thus C.B. Hunt, attorney for the petitioners, was successful in securing a Special School District rating for Tiverton against James Glenn, attorney representing the Board of Education, who was opposing it.
from the Coshocton County Auditior's Report to the State Commissioner of Education 1906: "There are only two Greek Scholars, two students in Political Economy and one in Natural History, all these in a cetain school in Tiverton Township - Township that is even without a high school."
When the Special School District of Tiverton was created, it was challenged as demanding taxes from too large a teritory. October 12, 1909 the case was settled by giving the Tiverton Special School District 850 acres instead of 1400 as asked, from which to draw revenues. H.H. Hagelbarger, Goerge Proper, A.H. Chaney and Abraham Simmons were on the School Board at this time.
In 1919 a new schoolhouse ws built at Tiverton on the same site as the old one. School was opened late so that the building could be finished and the year began in the new building. For the grades 1919 through 1929 three teachers were employed and after 1929 there were usually four teachers, each teaching two grades.
Dutch Run School pupils were sent to Tiverton School in the fall of 1920. In the fall of 1932 the Hunter and Wolf Creek Schools were closed and these children were sent to Tiverton to School. Horse Shoe Bend School and Chestnut Ridge School were closed in the fall of 1933 and their pupils sent to Tiverton Center to school.
In August 1932, the Dutch Run Schoolhouse was moved to Tiverton Center and in August 1933 the Horse Shoe Bend Schoolhouse was also moved there.
In 1946 the higher grades of Tiverton's School were transferred to Nellie and pupils sent there by bus. The School was reduced to two teachers. In 1953 this School again became a one-room school, the last one in Coshocton County. Mrs. Rebecca Williams Horn taught the first four grades until January 1959 when these pupils were also sent to the Nellie School by bus and the Tiverton Center School finally abandoned.
Tiverton High School
The first Tiverton High School was established in 1902 in the two-story schoolhouse with the outside stairway to the second floor on the outside of the building. The grade shcool pupils used the first floor, entering from the front door and the high school pupils used the second floor, entering from the outside stairway on the rear of the schoolhouse. This was a 3d grade, two-year high school and lasted only about eight years, being abandoned in 1910.
Its first Commencement was held April 21, 1909 in the Tiverton Methodist Church. The two graduates were Noble Hagelbarger 1889-1965 and Burgess Smith 1890-1934, both of whom taught in the county in later years.
Tiverton High School closed in April 1906 when Mansfield Almack gave a reception for the high school at the home of John E. Hays.
The 1910 graduates were Elvin and Agnes Gamertsfelder, Irvin Stillinger, Clara Cooper, Esther Rahn, Laura Brown, Florence Richards and Marie Carter.
In 1919 when the new four-room schoolhouse was erected, the Tiverton High School was again started, a 3d grade 2-year high school.
The first Commencement of the re-established high school was held at the Grange Hall, May 8, 1920 Tiverton Center and the graduates were: Nellie M. Shoder, Floyd T. Workman, Ina E. Bumpus, Jesse E. Tarrh and Merwyn Gaumer.
The last Tiverton High School Commencement in 1939 had six graduates: Arthur Bumpus, Lucille Conner, Patricia Gamertsfelder, Harley Rhodes, John Sheldon and Junior Spurgeon.
The Tiverton High School was abandoned in the summer of 1939 and its pupils sent to the Warsaw High School in the fall. The Tiverton High School with the Walhonding High School, were the two last of the 3d grade 2-years high schools in the County and among the last in the State.
Teachers at Tiverton Center Schools
Grover Speckman Mansfield J. Almack Charles R. Kimberley Burgess Smith R.R. Cross J.R. Sherry W.H. Parks John Proper Elmer Hoberg PF. Coggins Lloyd P. Williamson W.R. Root Carl Brumme Celia Lonsinger Edward Whitemore Ethel Holt Julia Ruth Butler Wilson Van Voorhis Michael Smithhisler E.A. Shonk Duna Moore Carl Smith E.A. Robinson Beatrice Hosler Charlotte Marshall Mabel Stout P.S. Fellers Daniel Gorey Thelma Spurgeon Alred Hagelbarger Wilhelmina Cummings Lucy Lonsinger Nellie Moore Carrie Winslow Ada Greenbaugh Hazel Gamertsfelder Ethel Gamertsfelder Elva Boyd Mary Axline Elva Boyd Gladys Koop Emma Smucker Minna Rahn Pauline Lonsinger Hoberg Lucy Stillinger Lena Lyons Ina Bumpus Helen Stover Ora Darr Mildred Ekey Anna Reiss Audrey Addy Orpha Garrison Louise McNabb Letha Heffelfinger Harold Hutchinson Grace Harmon Paul Dean Jean Klein Ida Drake Eileen Hooker Carl McKee Mary E. Lyons Virginia B. Hill Lillie Shyte John Shuy Fern Wolfe Ruby Sproull Gerald Parsons Dale Cahill Rebecca Horn --------------------------------------------------------------------- Wilmer Walker Age: 40 State: OH Color: W Enumeration District: 0035 Birth Place: Ohio Visit: 0026 County: Holmes Relation: Head of Household Other Residents: Relation Name Color Age Birth Place Wife Ina 38 Iowa Son Dean 11 Ohio Son Enett 09 Ohio Son Waldo 05 Ohio Son Donald NR Ohio ---------------------------------------------------------------------
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