Ethel was born in Olds, Alberta, Canada to Harry Lee and Ethel Walrod. Her parents died soon after birth and she was adopted by her aunt and uncle, Mary and Walter Bruce Walrod, he being the Walrod family genealogist.
She married Guy Pultz September 18, 1932 and moved to Iowa shortly thereafter, and then to Minneapolis, MN in 1941. Guy died in 1970. They had one adopted son, Vern, also deceased. Ethel was known for her ministry as an organist and as the lady who provided flowers for her church from her large garden- from which she gave to all who walked by and admired it.
=========================
NOTE- Guy's mother, Anna S. Anderson, was a sister to his wife's adopted mother (really aunt), Mary Anderson Walrod, Memorial# 91529277.
Which explains how a man from Iowa met his Canadian-born wife.
=========================
My parents and I did a road-trip to Iowa in 1998. We visited the church in which Mom's grandparents were married in 1890 and managed to unknowingly arrive there on a day there was a homemade chicken soup dinner served in the church basement. We toured the old state capitol at Iowa City, and then on to De Witt to visit the grave of one of my Revolutionary War ancestors. We discovered there was a local history museum at De Witt and contacted Ann Soenksen who was the director. She opened it up for us.
While at the museum Ann asked if I had a copy of the [1942] Walrod genealogy, which I had no knowledge of. She made me a copy of it. I was in disbelief. I spent days pouring over the data. After arriving back in Minneapolis, I noted Ethel Walrod married Guy Pultz and in 1942 were living in Mpls. I looked in the phone book and saw a listing for Guy Pultz. So I called. A lady answered and told me Guy wasn't there right now- as she always did when answering a call from an unknown person, as she was a widow living alone. When I explained I was really interested in contacting Ethel Walrod Pultz she replied, "that's me!" So we chatted about family history and how we were related, and she invited me over for dinner. I suggested we initially meet at a cafe as I was still a stranger, but she insisted, "the best way to get to know someone is to get their feet under your dinner table."
In her late 80s she was still baking over 200 loaves of homemade bread for the "old people" at church and young families at Christmastime.
They built their own house, living in the roofed over basement until they had the money to afford the lumber for the house itself. They then rented out the basement apartment to college students for many years.
Fiercely independent she was not going to stop driving, until one day after leaving church she got lost. After that she decided it was time. She had a couple from church, Doug and Cindy Winters, [I believe] watching over her and checking on her. She called and asked if they'd mailed a check for her renewing the car insurance, they were about to mail it and she told them not to. And sold the car.
Her memory went downhill quickly; she was in a memory ward at the end. Sometimes she didn't recognize me, other times I would be there for a bit and her memory would kick in and she'd say, "Kent, where have you been? I've been wishing you would visit." Sometimes she would regret not being in her old home, other times she would want to go outside to her gardens. I pointed out the snow through the window.
Towards the end she didn't recognize photos of her husband or son. I would point out the names penned on the back but she didn't even recognize the names. She would sit and tear up magazines, photos, whatever she could, I suppose to occupy her time. Once, she started tearing up an original copy of the Walrod genealogy, which was written by her uncle/adoptive father W. Bruce Walrod. I distracted her with other papers and put it on top of a tall bookshelf for safekeeping. It later was given to me.
I attended her funeral and the Winterses insisted I sit with the family- her nephews who arrived from Canada, wondered who this unknown "new' family member was. I'm sure thinking I'd want a cut of the estate.
I had just bought a new house June 3rd, and was painting and moving in and it just killed me to not get any of the perennial flowers and bulbs, of which there were hundreds. I just would not have had the time to move them. The house was sold to a young man from her church and he certainly didn't want an oversize lot with flowers to care for. He had the flowers removed and sodded over the beds.
Doug and Cindy gave me a plastic tote box filled with mementos of Ethel, I took out a few things- the Walrod genealogy, flower vases, etc., but the box is still in my garage mostly intact. Someday I will unearth it and donate what I do not need. It's only been 20 years!
KG
She married Guy Pultz September 18, 1932 and moved to Iowa shortly thereafter, and then to Minneapolis, MN in 1941. Guy died in 1970. They had one adopted son, Vern, also deceased. Ethel was known for her ministry as an organist and as the lady who provided flowers for her church from her large garden- from which she gave to all who walked by and admired it.
=========================
NOTE- Guy's mother, Anna S. Anderson, was a sister to his wife's adopted mother (really aunt), Mary Anderson Walrod, Memorial# 91529277.
Which explains how a man from Iowa met his Canadian-born wife.
=========================
My parents and I did a road-trip to Iowa in 1998. We visited the church in which Mom's grandparents were married in 1890 and managed to unknowingly arrive there on a day there was a homemade chicken soup dinner served in the church basement. We toured the old state capitol at Iowa City, and then on to De Witt to visit the grave of one of my Revolutionary War ancestors. We discovered there was a local history museum at De Witt and contacted Ann Soenksen who was the director. She opened it up for us.
While at the museum Ann asked if I had a copy of the [1942] Walrod genealogy, which I had no knowledge of. She made me a copy of it. I was in disbelief. I spent days pouring over the data. After arriving back in Minneapolis, I noted Ethel Walrod married Guy Pultz and in 1942 were living in Mpls. I looked in the phone book and saw a listing for Guy Pultz. So I called. A lady answered and told me Guy wasn't there right now- as she always did when answering a call from an unknown person, as she was a widow living alone. When I explained I was really interested in contacting Ethel Walrod Pultz she replied, "that's me!" So we chatted about family history and how we were related, and she invited me over for dinner. I suggested we initially meet at a cafe as I was still a stranger, but she insisted, "the best way to get to know someone is to get their feet under your dinner table."
In her late 80s she was still baking over 200 loaves of homemade bread for the "old people" at church and young families at Christmastime.
They built their own house, living in the roofed over basement until they had the money to afford the lumber for the house itself. They then rented out the basement apartment to college students for many years.
Fiercely independent she was not going to stop driving, until one day after leaving church she got lost. After that she decided it was time. She had a couple from church, Doug and Cindy Winters, [I believe] watching over her and checking on her. She called and asked if they'd mailed a check for her renewing the car insurance, they were about to mail it and she told them not to. And sold the car.
Her memory went downhill quickly; she was in a memory ward at the end. Sometimes she didn't recognize me, other times I would be there for a bit and her memory would kick in and she'd say, "Kent, where have you been? I've been wishing you would visit." Sometimes she would regret not being in her old home, other times she would want to go outside to her gardens. I pointed out the snow through the window.
Towards the end she didn't recognize photos of her husband or son. I would point out the names penned on the back but she didn't even recognize the names. She would sit and tear up magazines, photos, whatever she could, I suppose to occupy her time. Once, she started tearing up an original copy of the Walrod genealogy, which was written by her uncle/adoptive father W. Bruce Walrod. I distracted her with other papers and put it on top of a tall bookshelf for safekeeping. It later was given to me.
I attended her funeral and the Winterses insisted I sit with the family- her nephews who arrived from Canada, wondered who this unknown "new' family member was. I'm sure thinking I'd want a cut of the estate.
I had just bought a new house June 3rd, and was painting and moving in and it just killed me to not get any of the perennial flowers and bulbs, of which there were hundreds. I just would not have had the time to move them. The house was sold to a young man from her church and he certainly didn't want an oversize lot with flowers to care for. He had the flowers removed and sodded over the beds.
Doug and Cindy gave me a plastic tote box filled with mementos of Ethel, I took out a few things- the Walrod genealogy, flower vases, etc., but the box is still in my garage mostly intact. Someday I will unearth it and donate what I do not need. It's only been 20 years!
KG
Ethel was born in Olds, Alberta, Canada to Harry Lee and Ethel Walrod. Her parents died soon after birth and she was adopted by her aunt and uncle, Mary and Walter Bruce Walrod, he being the Walrod family genealogist.
She married Guy Pultz September 18, 1932 and moved to Iowa shortly thereafter, and then to Minneapolis, MN in 1941. Guy died in 1970. They had one adopted son, Vern, also deceased. Ethel was known for her ministry as an organist and as the lady who provided flowers for her church from her large garden- from which she gave to all who walked by and admired it.
=========================
NOTE- Guy's mother, Anna S. Anderson, was a sister to his wife's adopted mother (really aunt), Mary Anderson Walrod, Memorial# 91529277.
Which explains how a man from Iowa met his Canadian-born wife.
=========================
My parents and I did a road-trip to Iowa in 1998. We visited the church in which Mom's grandparents were married in 1890 and managed to unknowingly arrive there on a day there was a homemade chicken soup dinner served in the church basement. We toured the old state capitol at Iowa City, and then on to De Witt to visit the grave of one of my Revolutionary War ancestors. We discovered there was a local history museum at De Witt and contacted Ann Soenksen who was the director. She opened it up for us.
While at the museum Ann asked if I had a copy of the [1942] Walrod genealogy, which I had no knowledge of. She made me a copy of it. I was in disbelief. I spent days pouring over the data. After arriving back in Minneapolis, I noted Ethel Walrod married Guy Pultz and in 1942 were living in Mpls. I looked in the phone book and saw a listing for Guy Pultz. So I called. A lady answered and told me Guy wasn't there right now- as she always did when answering a call from an unknown person, as she was a widow living alone. When I explained I was really interested in contacting Ethel Walrod Pultz she replied, "that's me!" So we chatted about family history and how we were related, and she invited me over for dinner. I suggested we initially meet at a cafe as I was still a stranger, but she insisted, "the best way to get to know someone is to get their feet under your dinner table."
In her late 80s she was still baking over 200 loaves of homemade bread for the "old people" at church and young families at Christmastime.
They built their own house, living in the roofed over basement until they had the money to afford the lumber for the house itself. They then rented out the basement apartment to college students for many years.
Fiercely independent she was not going to stop driving, until one day after leaving church she got lost. After that she decided it was time. She had a couple from church, Doug and Cindy Winters, [I believe] watching over her and checking on her. She called and asked if they'd mailed a check for her renewing the car insurance, they were about to mail it and she told them not to. And sold the car.
Her memory went downhill quickly; she was in a memory ward at the end. Sometimes she didn't recognize me, other times I would be there for a bit and her memory would kick in and she'd say, "Kent, where have you been? I've been wishing you would visit." Sometimes she would regret not being in her old home, other times she would want to go outside to her gardens. I pointed out the snow through the window.
Towards the end she didn't recognize photos of her husband or son. I would point out the names penned on the back but she didn't even recognize the names. She would sit and tear up magazines, photos, whatever she could, I suppose to occupy her time. Once, she started tearing up an original copy of the Walrod genealogy, which was written by her uncle/adoptive father W. Bruce Walrod. I distracted her with other papers and put it on top of a tall bookshelf for safekeeping. It later was given to me.
I attended her funeral and the Winterses insisted I sit with the family- her nephews who arrived from Canada, wondered who this unknown "new' family member was. I'm sure thinking I'd want a cut of the estate.
I had just bought a new house June 3rd, and was painting and moving in and it just killed me to not get any of the perennial flowers and bulbs, of which there were hundreds. I just would not have had the time to move them. The house was sold to a young man from her church and he certainly didn't want an oversize lot with flowers to care for. He had the flowers removed and sodded over the beds.
Doug and Cindy gave me a plastic tote box filled with mementos of Ethel, I took out a few things- the Walrod genealogy, flower vases, etc., but the box is still in my garage mostly intact. Someday I will unearth it and donate what I do not need. It's only been 20 years!
KG
She married Guy Pultz September 18, 1932 and moved to Iowa shortly thereafter, and then to Minneapolis, MN in 1941. Guy died in 1970. They had one adopted son, Vern, also deceased. Ethel was known for her ministry as an organist and as the lady who provided flowers for her church from her large garden- from which she gave to all who walked by and admired it.
=========================
NOTE- Guy's mother, Anna S. Anderson, was a sister to his wife's adopted mother (really aunt), Mary Anderson Walrod, Memorial# 91529277.
Which explains how a man from Iowa met his Canadian-born wife.
=========================
My parents and I did a road-trip to Iowa in 1998. We visited the church in which Mom's grandparents were married in 1890 and managed to unknowingly arrive there on a day there was a homemade chicken soup dinner served in the church basement. We toured the old state capitol at Iowa City, and then on to De Witt to visit the grave of one of my Revolutionary War ancestors. We discovered there was a local history museum at De Witt and contacted Ann Soenksen who was the director. She opened it up for us.
While at the museum Ann asked if I had a copy of the [1942] Walrod genealogy, which I had no knowledge of. She made me a copy of it. I was in disbelief. I spent days pouring over the data. After arriving back in Minneapolis, I noted Ethel Walrod married Guy Pultz and in 1942 were living in Mpls. I looked in the phone book and saw a listing for Guy Pultz. So I called. A lady answered and told me Guy wasn't there right now- as she always did when answering a call from an unknown person, as she was a widow living alone. When I explained I was really interested in contacting Ethel Walrod Pultz she replied, "that's me!" So we chatted about family history and how we were related, and she invited me over for dinner. I suggested we initially meet at a cafe as I was still a stranger, but she insisted, "the best way to get to know someone is to get their feet under your dinner table."
In her late 80s she was still baking over 200 loaves of homemade bread for the "old people" at church and young families at Christmastime.
They built their own house, living in the roofed over basement until they had the money to afford the lumber for the house itself. They then rented out the basement apartment to college students for many years.
Fiercely independent she was not going to stop driving, until one day after leaving church she got lost. After that she decided it was time. She had a couple from church, Doug and Cindy Winters, [I believe] watching over her and checking on her. She called and asked if they'd mailed a check for her renewing the car insurance, they were about to mail it and she told them not to. And sold the car.
Her memory went downhill quickly; she was in a memory ward at the end. Sometimes she didn't recognize me, other times I would be there for a bit and her memory would kick in and she'd say, "Kent, where have you been? I've been wishing you would visit." Sometimes she would regret not being in her old home, other times she would want to go outside to her gardens. I pointed out the snow through the window.
Towards the end she didn't recognize photos of her husband or son. I would point out the names penned on the back but she didn't even recognize the names. She would sit and tear up magazines, photos, whatever she could, I suppose to occupy her time. Once, she started tearing up an original copy of the Walrod genealogy, which was written by her uncle/adoptive father W. Bruce Walrod. I distracted her with other papers and put it on top of a tall bookshelf for safekeeping. It later was given to me.
I attended her funeral and the Winterses insisted I sit with the family- her nephews who arrived from Canada, wondered who this unknown "new' family member was. I'm sure thinking I'd want a cut of the estate.
I had just bought a new house June 3rd, and was painting and moving in and it just killed me to not get any of the perennial flowers and bulbs, of which there were hundreds. I just would not have had the time to move them. The house was sold to a young man from her church and he certainly didn't want an oversize lot with flowers to care for. He had the flowers removed and sodded over the beds.
Doug and Cindy gave me a plastic tote box filled with mementos of Ethel, I took out a few things- the Walrod genealogy, flower vases, etc., but the box is still in my garage mostly intact. Someday I will unearth it and donate what I do not need. It's only been 20 years!
KG
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