William Walvoord
“Will” Walvoord was the seventh child of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Walvoord. Will was born in Cedar Grove on the large Walvoord Farm of 120 acres, October 9, 1877. He moved with the family to Sheboygan in 1898.
He married Alyda “Lydia” Lemmenes on September 9, 1902.
Lydia was the younger sister of Johanna “Annie” Lemmenes who married Will’s older brother, Henry E. Walvoord.
Lydia was the youngest of nine children born to Bernard and Jennie (Hiller) Lemmenes.
She was born on December 8, 1882 in Oostburg, Wisconsin.
Will was once an employee of Victor Imig Men’s Clothing Store in Sheboygan and went into a similar business for himself with partners Theodore Grube and Carl Toennies.
William Walvoord worked in retail for many years
The store was known as The Clothes Shop and was located in the former West Block.
Will stayed active in the working world until age 77. During the last 15 of those years, he was employed by the Jung Shoe Mfg. Co.
In his younger years, he was interested in taking pictures with a Kodak Camera. He was also an enthusiastic horseshoe player.
He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church Choir for 50-years. He was also Church Treasurer for 14-years.
Lydia Walvoord taught a Sunday School Class in the First Presbyterian building. She was active in the Ladies Aid for many years. Lydia was an excellent baker and an ultra neat housekeeper. She clerked for many years as a part-time job.
Both Will and Lydia were active members in the Knights of Pythias or Pythian Sisters. William Walvoord was a member of the Men’s Fellowship of the Presbyterian Church.
Wedding photo of William and Lydia (Lemmenes) Walvoord c. 1902. Will’s brother Henry, married Lydia’s sister, Annie.
In about 1921 or 1922 Will and Lydia purchased a house in Sheboygan at 1809 North 6th Street exactly one block over from his older brother John who had been living for some time at 1809 North 5th (now numbered 1811).
Will and Lydia had three children: Jeanette, Harriet and Wesley; who would cut through their neighbors’ backyard to play with their cousins, Ethel, Randall and John, Jr.
Jeanette Hester Walvoord was born April 1, 1905 in Sheboygan. She married Clemens Peter Bartzen who was born about 1895. Jeanette and Clemmens had three children: Robert Clemens Bartzen was born November 24, 1927. Clemens Perter Bartzen, Jr. was born January 26, 1935 and James Hillarious Bartzen was born April 10, 1937.
Jeanette’s husband died in Sheboygan on December 19, 1967. Jeanette died in Sheboygan on September 7, 2003. She was 98.
Harriet Evelyn Walvoord, born March 21, 1913 in Sheboygan. She married Melvin Vollbrecht and had one daughter, Joan Lois Vollbrecht who was born on August 16, 1934. Harriet died in East Aurora, New York on October 3, 2006. She was 93.
Wesley Howard Walvoord, born April 3, 1915, married Virginia May Philps of Churchton, Maryland. Wesley joined the Navy in 1933 and made it his career until his retirement. They had one daughter, Cheryl Lynn Walvoord who was born in Bremerhaven, Germany on December 16, 1954. Wesley died in February 1984 in Springfield, Virginia, He was 68.
William Walvoord age 95
Will and Lydia celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Washington, D.C. in 1952. They took an auto trip there with Harriet’s family.
Lydia was 81-years-old when she died on March 20, 1964. She left Will a widower for the next nine years until he joined her on February 11, 1973 at the age of 96.
Someone said of William Walvoord, “He will be remembered after most of us are long forgotten. He looked like his father and seemed to possess the same friendly personalty. He loved his fellow man.”