SHEBOYGAN HISTORY

Hon. Henry Walvoord, Page 524

HON. HENRY WALVOORD has been a prominent character of Holland Township, where he has made his home since he was two years of age.  He was born in Pittsburgh, Pa., November 14, 1847, being the only son of five children born to Gerrett J. and Annie Maria Engel (Nolton) Walvoord.  The father was a native of Aalten, Guelderland, Holland, born January 22, 1826.  When a young man he left his native land to seek his fortune in the New World.  He first located at Pittsburgh, where he farmed, and also worked in the coal mines.  While there he married Miss Nolton, who was born in Hanover, Germany, in April, 1820, and with her brother emigrated to America.  In 1849, Hendrik Walvoord, the grandfather of the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, accompanied by his daughter Jane, also came to this country and joined his son at Pittsburgh.  Immediately, the entire family emigrated to the town of Holland, where Hendrik Walvoord purchase one hundred and sixty acres of timbered land, and began the development of a farm, to which he added from time to time.  Soon after coming to this county he acquired forty-nine shares in the Holland Trading Company, which was engaged in merchandising and in the transportation of cord-wood from the old Amsterdam Pier.  Gerrett J. Walvoord was not permitted to long enjoy his new home.  While measuring cord-wood at the above-named pier, he was accidentally drowned, July 11, 1855, and was buried on the family lot in the cemetery on section 26, Holland Township, where also lies his daughter Tonia.  The rest of his children survive.  Henry is the subject of this account; Jane, born December 21, 1849, became the wife of Roelof Hoopman, a farmer of Lime Springs, Iowa; Mary, born September 15, 1853, married Henry J. Sweemer, of Sheboygan; and Delia, born April 15, 1856, is the wife of Frank Lawson, of Fillmore County, Minn.

    The business at the pier was destined to bring still more sorrow to the Walvoord family, as in January, 1856, the store and dwelling were destroyed by fire, whereby they lost nearly everything they had invested there.  On the 21st of December, 1856, Hendrik Walvoord was laid to rest beside his son.  He was possessed of noble qualities, being kind, generous and thoroughly honest.

    Hon. Henry Walvoord was but eight years of age when he lost his father.  Under the loving care and protection of his mother and grandfather he grew to manhood, receiving such educational and social advantages as the early time afforded.  A few days after celebrating his nineteenth birthday, he was married to Miss Henrietta Elise Eggerichs, the wedding occurring December 5, 1866.  Mrs. Walvoord was born December 17, 1844, at Neustadt Godens, Hanover, Germany, being one of the four children of Frederick W. G. T. and Himke Margaret (Janssen) Eggerichs.  In May, 1865, she sailed from Bremen to New York, taking forty-two days to make the voyage.

    Unto Mr. & Mrs. Walvoord were born thirteen children, seven sons and six daughters, of whom eleven are living and are as follows:  Anna M., who was born September 18, 1867, and wedded Ewaldus Van de Wall, Postmaster of Hoard, in the town of Holland; Frederick, who was born March 13, 1869, and was the first student from Sheboygan County that attended the Dairy School at Madison; Gertie, born December 19, 1870; Gerrett J., born September 22, 1872, and now attending the High School at Sheboygan; Henry E., born June 8, 1875; William, October 9, 1877; Meta Maria, April 21, 1879, Elise Henrietta, January 27, 1881; Louise Antoinette, February 14, 1883; Anthony, November 11, 1884; and Ada Adeline, May 6, 1889.

    In political circles, Mr. Walvoord has been quite an active worker, and has been called upon to fill a number of official positions.  He was School Treasurer from 1871 to 1893, a member of the Town Board from 1875 to 1879, Town Clerk in 1880 and 1881, a member of the County Board in 1882 and 1883, a member of the Assembly in 1885 and 1886, a member of the County Board from 1887 to 1892, and for four years has been a member of the Board of Trustees of the County Insane Asylum.  Since 1882 he has served as Secretary of the Town of Holland Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company.  That Mr. Walvoord is a popular man, both in the ranks of the Republican party and in his township, is shown by the many places of public trust he has been called upon to fill.  He and his family are members of the Presbyterian Church, of which his grandfather was an Elder for many years.

    The Walvoords have the distinction of being the first to pay patrons of their cheese factory on the "relative value plan," based upon the per cent of fat which the milk contains.