#31 Brother. Walter R. Shaffner. 52 Ancestors in a Year
Walter Ruskin Shaffner was my grandfather, John Fanoit Shaffner’s brother. Walter was born 7 September 1899 to John Martin Shaffner and Elizabeth Deborah Fletcher in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
His middle name is not a family name that I am aware of yet.
Elizabeth Deborah Fletcher Shaffner died on 17 November 1899 in Harrisburg. Her cause of death on her death certificate is listed as kidney trouble and that she had been ill 2 weeks.
Walter was 2 months, 12 days old when his mother died. John M. Shaffner was left with 6 children to raise, the oldest was 18 years old.
John Martin Shaffner's mother, Margaret Maria Fetter Shaffner holding Walter
Walter was about a year old
With 6 children to raise, and a newborn baby, the care was provided by the older sisters (Ettie and Lida) who were 14 and 16 years old. John remarried Emma Reamer on 10 July 1901, about 19 months later.
Grandpa maintained that the step-mother, Emma, did not like the stepchildren. Baby Walter went to live with his mother’s sister, Celia Metalla Fletcher Daggett and her husband Richard in Lawrenceville, Tioga County, Pennsylvania.
Walter Ruskin Shaffner
Walter died in Elmira, New York on 15 December 1916 from acute indigestion.
It had been Grandpa Shaffner’s goal to bring Walter to Montana but unfortunately Walter died before Grandpa was settled on the homestead in Beaverhead County, Montana.
We have few pictures of Walter. Grandpa wrote in his life story that he did not know where Walter was buried. Since Grandpa Shaffner was living in Montana, I suspect that he never received information of where Walter was buried. I am surprised that in Grandpa’s family history collection there was never a mention of where he was buried or a photo of his headstone. I wonder if Grandpa ever looked for the grave.
As I began to consider the blog topic of brother, I began to look for where Walter was buried. Although I could find nothing on FindAGrave or other internet sources, I contacted the Historical Society of Dauphin County (Pennsylvania). With in a few days by email, I received the cemetery plot information of where he was buried in the Harrisburg Cemetery. A search on another subscription website provided a funeral notice with his burial stated in the Harrisburg Cemetery
Walter Ruskin Shaffner
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Cemetery
But how did I receive a picture of the headstone??
Story at end!
Now for the amazing part of the story. I have a genealogy friend in Colstrip, Montana who I knew was from Harrisburg. I texted her one evening and asked if she knew anyone that could go and check out the cemetery and see if there was indeed a headstone. Within 2 hours I received information from her that her aunt would go tomorrow afternoon. By the next morning, I received the picture of Walter's headstone!
My next question, is why was Walter buried in the Harrisburg Cemetery when his mother is buried at the East Harrisburg Cemetery. I hope to answer the question in next week's blog!
