Conrad WALTER

• Sex: M
• Born: 7 SEP 1873 in Walter, Frank, Russia
• Died: 27 APR 1936 in Billings, Yellowstone, MT
• Buried: APR 1936 in Mountview, Billings, MT, USA
• Reference: 4.
• Notes:

  Conrad was born to Peter and Eva Walter in Walter, Russia on the 7th
  day of September in the year of our Lord 1873. The village of Walter
  was one of the Volga German mother colonies and was established on the
  25th of August in 1767 (Julian Calendar) by 99 families. Its people
  were of the Evangelical Lutheran faith and most likely came from the
  Hesse, Rhineland, Palatinate, and Saxony regions of Germany. Conrad
  once told his daughter-in-law Martha "Fried" Walter that his line of
  Walters came from the Hesse district. The Russian name for the Walter
  village was or is, "Gretschinnaja Luka." Walter is about 70 miles from
  Saratov and west of the Volga River. The village had a population of
  about 5900 when Conrad was 24 years old. The town was built along the
  banks of the Medwediza River; it was narrow and about one mile long.
  Conrad would have exchanged vows with Anna Katherina Schoessler in the
  large village church which had a pipe organ and a balcony encircling the
  sanctuary. From all indications, Conrad married Anna Katherina on the
  3rd of January in the year of 1893. While in Walter, Russia, to Conrad
  and Anna were born John, Catherine, and Conrad. The community was
  virtually self-sustaining with most of the inhabitants engaged in
  agriculture. In the winter, blocks of ice would be taken from the frozen
  river and stored in straw-filled dugouts for refrigeration. A mill was
  located on the outskirts for grinding grain into floor. The community
  laundry centered on the banks of the river. One store sold sugar,
  coffee, tea, drygoods, and liquor. The blacksmith was also centrally
  located. The Walter houses were of split logs chinked with clay. A
  centralized oven, fuelled with cow chips and sometimes coal (when
  available), served the family for cooking and heating.
  Conrad was 26 years old when he left the village of Walter, and
  began the search for a new life in a new world. On December 16, 1899,
  Conrad Walter registered himself and his family as passengers of the
  liner "Sparta," to sail from Hamburg to America. It seems that the
  passenger liner embarked from Hamburg, Germany on December 21, 1899 and
  arrived 10 days later in New York, January the 2nd, 1900.
  It seems providential for the Conrad Walter's to have arrived in the new
  world at the beginning of a new year, and at the beginning of a new
  century, the 20th century. The Walters were processed through the Ellis
  Island immigration check point, and possibly met by some friends to help
  them on to Lincoln, Nebraska. When they arrived in Lincoln, many
  acquaintences and relatives from the old country were already there.
  Conrad and Anna eventually settled down in a house at 621 G Street and
  associated with the Zion Congregational Church. It was the habit of the
  immigrants to group themselves according to their native villages.
  Conrad obtained employment at the railroad roundhouse shoveling coal.
  In that same year of the Conrad family arriving in America, on October
  6, 1900, Conrad filed a declaration of intention for naturalization in
  the District Court of Lancaster County Nebraska. He was going to linger
  with the declaration of his citizenship intentions. In Lincoln, George,
  Daniel and Martha were born. In the years of 1902, 1903, and 1907,
  severe flooding occured in Lincoln and especially in the vicinity of the
  Russian German settlements. After son George was born and about a year
  old, the Conrad Walters had a family portrait taken; they were now an
  immigrant family in a new world. Daniel was born in 1902. Martha was
  born in 1904, and Anna Katherina never recovered from this pregnacy and
  birth. She died April the 8th of 1905. Conrad was a widower with six
  children at home ages 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, and 12. Conrad had another family
  portrait taken in about the fall of 1905; he is alone with his six
  children (Martha looks to be about a year old). On the 31st of August
  1905, at the age of 33, Conrad applied for a marriage license to marry
  widow Alice Hofferber Uhrich who had her children Conrad and Molly. They
  were married on the 29th of November in 1905 with the Rev. S.H. Schwab
  officiating. Their daughter Esther was born in February of 1907 and in
  April the Walters moved west.
  "In Montana, irrgation was developed in 1905. In 1906 the first
  sugar refinery was built in Billings and in the same year the movement
  of Volga Germans to this area began. In 1909 settlements were
  established at Laurel, Park City, Bridger, Silesia, Belfry, Huntley,
  Worden, Hardin, and Big Horn." GRHS Vol 27, No. 3, p. 19 In the April
  30, 1907 edition of the Billings Gazette, an article announces the
  arrival of a train load of German-Russians to work in the sugar beet
  fields. Conrad Walter and family were among these "train loads." The
  Sugar Beet Company assigned the Walter family to beet farmer Oscar
  Quarnberg who lived about three miles west of Billings. Conrad was 34
  years old in this year of 1907, and this year is the beginning of the
  Walters settling down in the Billings, Montana vicinity. The entire
  family worked for the Quarnbergs. After a couple of years Conrad
  purchased a small farm on the banks of the Yellowstone River. Daughter
  Rachel was born in 1909. In the following year, 1910, Conrad Walter
  banded with a group to charter a church they named "The First German
  Congregational Church." The first worship services were held in a
  school house west of Billings and in the Billings Y.M.C.A. later. In
  1913 Conrad received his naturalization papers and the family became
  Americans. On January 1914, the "First German Congregational Church"
  purchased land at 4th Avenue South and 36th Street and began
  construction in April on a new church. The new church was dedicated that
  fall of 1914 and Conrad was elected treasurer.
  In 1914, U.S. entered World War I, and Conrad was 41 years old. In
  those years, Conrad purchased 132 acres of irrigated land 6 miles west
  of Billings on the Hesper Road; 3 lots containing 6.5 acres; 2 lots in
  the Fairview Subdivision; and 3 lots and house in the Highland
  Subdivision of Billings. In 1926 when son Daniel married, the farm was
  given over to him. Conrad was 43 years old, moved into Billings but
  continued to come out to the farm and assist in its operations. Conrad
  was active on the Canyon Creek Irrigation Ditch Board. Conrad Walter
  died the night of April 27, 1936, living to be 62 years, 7 months and 20
  days old. The night Conrad died, all his children and grandchildren
  were gathered at the house. The minister and deacons from the church
  prayed with him until the ambulance came. He died on the way to the
  hospital. As it was the custom, his body was brought to the home for
  visitation. On the day of the funeral, the church was filled to
  capacity and many were standing outside hearing the service through
  loudspeakers. Rev. August Shiller gave the address in German and Rev.
  C. H. Burdick spoke in English. Burial was at Mountview Cemetery.

• Married: 3 JAN 1893 in Walter, Frank, Russia

1. John WALTER, b. 4 DEC 1893 in Walter, Russia
2. Katherine WALTER, b. 10 MAR 1896 in Walter, Russia
3. Conrad Jr CooneyWALTER, b. 1 JUN 1898 in Walter, Russia
4. George WALTER, b. 10 JUN 1900 in Lincoln, Lancaster, NE, USA
5. Daniel WALTER, b. 14 OCT 1902 in Lincoln, Lancaster, Nebraska
6. Martha WALTER, b. 20 AUG 1904 in Lincoln, Lancaster, NE, USA

• Married: 31 AUG 1905 in Lincoln, Lancaster Co, NE, USA

1. Esther Weber WALTER, b. 24 FEB 1907 in Lincoln, Lancaster, NE, USA
2. Rachel Schoessler WALTER, b. 20 MAY 1909 in Billings, Yellowshtone, MT, USA

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