Uncle Jimmie Walch of Winfield, Kansas

I received James Walch's obituary last week from a volunteer genealogist at the Winfield Public Library. It was a front page news article published by The Winfield Daily Courier on October 08, 1932. A follow-up article on his last rites also made front-page; but I won't include it here due to its length. They certainly knew how to write obituaries in those days.

HEART ATTACK CLAIMS PIONEER STONE MASON

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"Uncle Jimmie" Walch Helped Erect Many Buildings Here

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James Walch, 84, lovingly known to his many friends as "Uncle Jimmie" Walch died at his home Friday night at 11:10 p.m. Although he had suffered from serious heart trouble for a long time, he spent Friday sitting up and visiting with his family, saying that he felt better than for a long time. At about 10 o'clock he suddenly became worse and died slightly more than an hour later.

He was a stone cutter and one of Winfield's oldest and best-known residents. So closely allied with the buildings of the city has been his life that from time to time accounts of his work have been recorded in The Courier. The one which pleased him the most is the following, printed July 12, 1923:"’Hello, up there, Daddy. Are you just learning the trade?’"A passing man looked up at an aged stone cutter chipping steadily away at the front of the old Stuber building."' Yes, just learning,' he chuckled back good-naturedly.“Another pedestrian, an old-timer, notice the bent figure at work."' Well I’ll be ----------, he ejaculated, rubbing his eyes in astonishment. "I thought you retired 10 years ago.'"A third passerby, a young man in the flower of youth, caught sight of the grizzled old workmen, swinging his mallet in the hot sun. A puzzled look in his eyes melted under a film, then flashed into a determined glint as he straightened his shoulders, clenched his hands strode out. By the eternals there was the acme of service – a ‘never-say-die' spirit personified.

Plied Trade Determinedly

"The old stone cutter was “Uncle Jimmie” Walch, 76 his next birthday, a veteran builder pioneer of Winfield. Bowed under the weight of three quarters of a century, undaunted by nature's decree that man shall live three score and ten then like the grass of the field, scorning the ease of retirement, he ‘carries on' day after day, plying his trade with the determination to be envied by the gods.
"At the age of 21, “Uncle Jimmie” finished his apprenticeship as a stone cutter in the east. In 1876, ’centennial year,’ he helped fit stones in the piers of the greatest engineering achievement of the time, the famous Brooklyn bridge. Later he worked on the capital of New York at Albany. When Winfield was still in swaddling clothes, in 1878, the young tradesman came west and made his home in the city.

Help Build City

"If any one man may rightfully say ‘I help build this city,’ that man is “Uncle Jimmie” Walch. With his own hands, he placed stones in the First National bank, North hall at Southwestern, St. John's administration building and the smokestack at the school, the old Catholic Church, old Grace Church, Baptist church, Episcopal Church, United Brethren church, virtually every school building and a hundred others stone structures too many to name.“Who can match such a record?“A stone cutting trade is rapidly dwindling as machinery takes the place of human hands. ‘Uncle Jimmie’ is much in demand for special cutting, but the big jobs are now all finished at that the quarry by power. He is one of the few surviving representatives of this trade in Winfield.“’ Uncle Jimmie’ is far down the long, long western trail where the sun slips down over the horizon into the valley of the shadow. By the fading twilight rays with unfaltering hand he swings his mallet, soon to be exchanged by the Great Architect in the land of a glorious rising sun for the working tools of an apprentice to help build that wonderful house not made with hands -- eternal in the heavens.”This fitting description of the character of James Walch, tells of some of the outstanding pieces upon which he worked in Winfield. He helped cut the stone for the present building in which the Courier office is located. The last building upon which he worked was the nurses’ home at the state training school.

Born in England

James Walch, son of Stephen Walch and Elizabeth Walch was born in Liverpool, England, on December 19, 1847, and came to America with his parents when a small child. He spent his childhood and young manhood in Yonkers, New York.

He was united in marriage to Mary Ann Hoare, November 1, 1875 and came to Winfield in 1878, where they have since made their home. He has been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for the past 70 years, attending when he was able. He was a charter member of the men's Bible class. He loved his home, his family, his friends, flowers and, all of the outdoors. Only last Sunday he went for a ride and remarked how lovely everything looked, and how he enjoyed it all. He stopped for a while and marvel at the change been made in the riverbed of the Walnut at the Consolidated mill. He was one of the workers on the old dam at the mill.

He is survived by his widow, two daughters, Mrs. J. W. Mendenhall of Las Animas, Colo., who arrived Thursday evening to be with her father, and Mrs. Grace Hickerson of the home; four grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren, besides a number of nieces and nephews and a host of friends.

Funeral services will be held from the first Methodist church Sunday, October 9, at 3 p.m. Rev. R. P. Crawford, pastor of the church, will officiate. Burial will be in the Union cemetery.

The photo of James & Mary (Hoare) Walch’s 50th Anniversary courtesy of Cait (Hendron) Sullivan. Double click on picture to enlarge.