Sykesville Post Dispatch
May 10th, 1918, p.1.

Frederick M. Walker, Pioneer Resident Died in 79th Year

In the death of Frederick M. Walker at 11:20 last Friday night, Sykesville and Jefferson County lost one of its honored and beloved pioneer resident and another name is stricken from the ever lessening roll of our old settlers and a lonely woman in the sunset of life is left to attest how sadly we will miss him. His life work was done and well done, yet tender human ties cannot be severed without the pangs of sorrow and regret. Age 78 years, 5 months and 11 days.

The illness which caused his death was of but one week, and the cause - pneumonia. About six years ago, he was critically ill with the same ailment but recovered and was able to do many of his duties about his farm, but minus the energy that was his prior to his illness. A heavy cold developed about a week previous to his death and could not be checked, and the recurrence of his former sickness developed rapidly and it became apparent on Wednesday that his death was but a matter of a brief period and his household summoned to his bedside.

Funeral services were conducted at the home at 10 o'clock Tuesday morning, by his Pastor, Rev. I.G. Koonce, of the M. E. Church, paying a worthy tribute to his memory, the beautiful flowers so typical of the life of the one mourned, mutely spoke the pathos of a parting word, placed upon the casket by loving hands. Interment was made in the new cemetery, near his home, in the plot of ground reserved by himself when the cemetery was laid out from lands formerly part of his farm.

The subject of this sketch was born in Wurtemburg, Germany, Nov. 22, 1839, the son of Christian and Catherine Walker who immigrated to America in 1847, accompanied by their three children, Frederick M. being the eldest and aged but 8 years.

They first settled in what is now the town of Troutville. At the age of 23 the son was united in marriage to Christina Zufall and in the year 1863 purchased a 72 acre tract of timber land in Winslow Township, now Sykesville Borough, on which ha had spent his entire life, clearing his land of timber and rafting large portions of it to Pittsburgh. He brought his farm to a high stage of cultivation and had achieved an independence that was his to enjoy in declining years. He had long been a member of the Sykesville Methodist Episcopal Church and not only was a Christian, but was an honorable gentleman in the highest sense that the term implies. He always extended a most cordial greeting that never failed to brighten the pathway of a friend and he commanded the respect of people of all classes. In the township he had served as a school director and since Sykesville became a borough, had served a term as councilman.

To Mr. and Mrs. Walker were born eleven children of whom nine survive: Miss Pauline Walker of New York City; Mrs. A.L. George of Kittanning; Henry of the old homestead; George F. of Kittanning; Mrs. W.J. Hess of Whitaker; J. Irvin of Mt. Pleasant; Attorney Gust A. of Kittanning; Clarence H. and Mrs. Orren Couch of Schwenksville, Pa., all of whom, as well as several grandchildren were here to attend the funeral. Surviving besides the above are 26 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren, and a sister, Mrs. Fred Lott of Troutville.

(Frederick M. Walker became a naturalized citizen on September 15, 1868 and first voted on October 13, 1868.)

Frederick's birth date is listed as 26 Nov 1839 in German vital records collections...
Ancestry.com. Württemberg, Germany, Lutheran Baptisms, Marriages, and Burials, 1500-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016.