U.S. Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ -- USGenNet Inc. -- Please read the U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on the following page: --------------------------------------------------------------------- Walls, John Ormond (1871-1958) --------------------------------------------------------------------- A History of Preston County West Virginia Biographical Department, Supplied by J. R. Cole Kingwood, W. Va., The Journal Publishing Company, 1914 by H. S. Whetsell Pages 822-823, JOHN ORMOND WALLS. The Walls family, of Grant district, are descendants from James Walls, who settled in that part of the county before its separation from Monongalia. He came from Delaware, and was buried on the farm. His grandson, Solomon Walls, was born July 18, 1823. He lived on a part of the old homestead, a farm of about 200 acres, now owned by his two sons. He was a public-spirited citizen of the commonwealth, and a patriot also. His name can be found in another part of this work as one of the soldiers of the late Civil War, he having served nearly three years in the 3rd Maryland Regiment, and as corporal of his company. In the month of June, 1870, he married his second wife, the widow of John A. Michael, whose maiden name was Nancy Ormond. Her mother was a Hamilton, who came with her parents to this country from Ireland when in her childhood. Her brother, John Ormond, who was a member of the Board of Education for several years, lives near Pisgah, on a farm. Her two children, by John Michaels, became lawyers, who attained to some notoriety in the chosen profession. Walter H. Michael, now dead, was a graduate of the West Virginia University, after which he taught in the colleges in North Carolina for a while, then studied and practiced law in Minnesota, and subsequently edited law books, first for Edward Thompson, then for the American Law Book Company of New York. His brother, James Clark Michael, was city attorney for eight years at St. Paul, Minnesota. He is still living. The children by that second marriage were: John Ormond, born March 21, 1871, and Orpheus S., born July 18, 1873. On his father's fiftieth birthday, February 1, 1897, Solomon Walls died of pneumonia and was buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, The two sons were raised farmers. They were educated in the common schools, and for six years owned and operated a store in Pisgah. They improved the farm and added about 50 acres to it. In the year 1911 a steam well digger was bought, and during the past two years about forty-five artesian wells have been dug, the firm name being J. O. & O. S. Walls. Of these the shallowest was 27 feet, and the deepest 160 feet. Farming and well digging were carried on simultaneously. J. O. Walls married Miss Edmina Maude King on March 25, 1911. She is a granddaughter of Alpheus King, still living at the age of 91 years. Her father, James King, married Miss Cerilda Listen. They live on a farm in Grant district. The Walls are Democrats and members of the Lutheran and Methodist churches. --------------------------------------------------------------------- From Death Certificate, Preston County, WV #'58-012407 FULL-NAME: John Ormand Walls BIRTH-DATE: 1871 BIRTH-PLACE: Preston Co., W.Va. DEATH-DATE: September 15, 1958 DEATH-PLACE: Paugh Rest Home, Morgantown, Monongalia County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Widowed OCCUPATION: Farmer FATHER: Soleman Walls MOTHER: Nancy Walls CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Broncho pneumonia / acute upper respiratory infection INFORMANT: D. K. Gibson (of Bruceton Mills) BURIAL: Fairview Cemetery, near Pisgah, WV (wife of John Ormand Walls) From Death Certificate, Preston County, WV #1110 FULL-NAME: Edmina Maude Walls BIRTH-DATE: January 3, 1884 BIRTH-PLACE: Preston County, West Virginia DEATH-DATE: January 23, 1938 DEATH-PLACE: (at home) Pisgah, Grant District, Preston County, WV MARITAL-STATUS: Married (J. O. Walls) OCCUPATION: Housewife FATHER: James B. King (born in Preston County, West Virginia) MOTHER: Cerilda Liston (born in Preston County, West Virginia) CAUSE-OF-DEATH: Chronic Myocarditis and myocardial degeneration INFORMANT: J. O. Walls (of Pisgah, W.Va.) BURIAL: Fairview Cemetery --------------------------------------------------------------------- If you've reached this file through a SEARCH, you can access other biographies for Preston County, WV by going to the following URL: http://www.us-data.org/wv/preston/bios.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------