52 Ancestors: Week 16 "Live Long": Walter Floyd Boe

The Week 16 theme for Amy Johnson Crow's 52 Ancestors Challenge is "Live Long". One ancestor that came to mind was my great-grandmother Ellen Victoria (Dahlquist) Anderson (8 September 1886 - 26 April 1986), who lived to the age of 99. But since I have already written about her, I  decided to write about another relative who also lived to the age of 99: Walter Floyd Boe, my maternal grandfather's half-brother.

Walter Floyd Boe was born on 5 June 1901 in Minnesota. He was the son of my great-grandfather John Boe and his first wife Signe Olson. On 31 August 1901, Walter was baptized in the Lutheran Church in Benson, Swift County, Minnesota.

Baptism, Walther Floyd Boe. 31 August 1901. Trinity and Our Savior's Lutheran, Benson, Minnesota. Ministerial records, combined, 1900-1917. Available from Ancestry.com. Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Records, 1875-1940 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. ELCA, Birth, Marriage, Deaths. Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, Chicago, Illinois.

By 1905, the Boe family was living in Mason City, Cerro Gordo, Iowa.

Iowa state census, 1905. Mason City, Cerro Gordo, Iowa. Available from Ancestry.com. Iowa, State Census Collection, 1836-1925 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. 

Shortly afterward, Walter's parents separated. He, his mother, and his sisters Lillian and Gladys were in California by 1914, when his half-sister Vivian Brazier was born in Tehama County. His half-sister Cecil Brazier was born in Butte County, California in 1916.

In 1920, Walter and his mother and sisters were living in Stockton, San Joaquin County, California. Walter was using the surname Brazier. He was working as a machinist.

1920 United States census, Stockton Ward 3, San Joaquin County, California, population schedule, enumeration district 173, sheet no. 18B. Available from Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2010. Images reproduced by FamilySearch.

On 24 December 1929, Walter married Vilo Ulala Christiansen in Los Angeles, California. They were married by Bishop Albin Hoglund of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. At the time of their marriage, Walter worked as a locomotive fireman for the Southern Pacific Railway.

California, County Marriages, 1850-1952, index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8NY-WRV), Walter Floyd Boe Brazier and Vilo Ulala Christensen, 24 Dec 1929; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,770.

California, County Marriages, 1850-1952, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1942-29942-4027-43?cc=1804002), Walter Floyd Boe Brazier and Vilo Ulala Christensen, 24 Dec 1929; citing Los Angeles, California, United States, county courthouses, California; FHL microfilm 2,074,770.

In 1930, Walter and Viola lived in Los Angeles with Vilo's mother, Emma (Jones) Christiansen. Walter was working as a locomotive engineer.

1930 United States census, Los Angeles City, Ward 13, Los Angeles County, California, population schedule, enumeration district 19-764, sheet 12A. Available from Ancestry.com. 1930 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2002.

In 1931, Walter's listing in the Los Angeles city directory indicated that he was an engineer in the Garfield Building.

Los Angeles, California City Directory, 1931. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011

By 1939, Walter and Vilo were living in Fresno, California with Walter's mother and half-sister Cecil.

Polk's Fresno (California) City Directory, 1939.Los Angeles, CA: R. L. Polk & Co. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

By 1940, Walter and Vilo were living in Chowchilla, Madera County, California, and had had two of their daughters. Two more daughters were born later. Walter was working as an electrical engineer at a creamery.

1940 United States census, Chowchilla, Madera County, California,population schedule, enumeration district 20-1, sheet no. 1B. Available from Ancestry.com. 1940 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012.

Walter eventually returned to his birth surname, Boe. He and his family moved to Butte, Chico County, California. In 1983, he was listed in the city directory as a junk collector.

1983 Chico (Butte County, Calif.) City Directory. R. L. Polk & Co. Available from Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Walter's wife Vilo died on 19 August 1990. Walter died on 15 February 2001. They are buried in Glen Oaks Memorial Park in Chico, Butte County, California.

 Photo by Adriana at Find A Grave