GED4WEB version 4.41 Hawkins Walter Gibbs [Male] b. 04 APR 1870 Buchanan, Missouri, USA - d. 09 JUN 1903 Marion City, kansas
[wwspiers-erickson.GED]
Walter was John and Mary Hawkins' second child. He was born in Missouri shortly after they arrived.
Walter married Anna Detweiler on February 11, 1897. They had 6 children. They lived in Marion, Kansas. The property is described in the deed as: The East Half of the North West Quarter of Saction Two, Township Twenty, Range Three East. It was purchased for $2,900.00 on November 26, 1902.
On July 9, 1903, Walter shot himself after a flood of Cottenwood Creek had taken his crops. He was despondant, and asked his father to come. John Henry was unable to come, and it is told that John Henry felt responsible for his son's death. It would seem that Walter was facing financial ruin by this act of nature. He had just invested everything he probably had into the purchase of his farm only 8 months before, and was depending heavily on the sale of his first good crop. It must have been a crushing weight to try and bear to end in his suicide. His son,Claude Sr. later related the story. He said his father came home and went straight to the bedroom. A little bit later they heard a shot, and his mother scream.
There is a couple of photo's of Walter. He appeared to have light brown or blonde hair, cut very short. He had a neatly trimmed mustache. He was tall and slender, rather handsome. One photo is taken in Saint Joseph, Missouri at the Laurman Studios (311 Felix St.). He appears to be about 17 years old. The second photo is at an older age, possibly not long before his death. I would guess it may have been taken around 1900. He has a beard then. It is a family photograph of John Henry and all his children, no spouses.
Walter's wife lost a child she was carrying when Walter died, and shortly after, their 4 month old son died. It was too much for Anna to bear, and she went into a severe depression. She was committed to an institution, and the children sent to relatives to live.
In January 27, 1905, William Hawkins, Walter's brother and estate administrator, sold the farm that once belonged to Walter and Anna.
This HTML database was produced by a registered copy of GED4WEB version 4.41
Copyright 2017 Kevin Spiers