White River Races

In August 1922, Robert A. Halter was featured in a boat race on the White River in Broad Ripple, Indianapolis. The races were in addition to the national championship swimming races being held at Broad Ripple. Perhaps my great-grandparents Harry and Blanche O'Brien were in attendance with my grandmother Blanche, who was an aspiring swimmer at the time.

Indianapolis News, 8 Aug 1922.

The Tenor

The next child of Andrew and Cora Halter was Robert Adolfus Halter. Our family has had its share of musical talent, including my great-grandfather Harry O'Brien and his brothers John and Roy. On my wife's side of the tree, her great-grandfather's brother Robert showed his musical skills through singing. Robert entered the US Navy in 1918 and sang in the Navy Glee Club. He later moved to Indianapolis, and possibly participated in the same music circuit as my great-grandfather Harry O'Brien. A 1926 clipping in the Indianapolis News gives a sense of Robert's success as a tenor, describing how he won a spot with the Orpheus Male Chorus of Cleveland to compete in an international singing contest in Swansea, Wales.

Indianapolis News, 20 Jul 1926

Robert must have had quite the trip, sailing from Montreal to Liverpool in July, then returning from Liverpool to Canada in mid August 1926 as a champion. Robert appears on the passenger list from the "Celtic" arriving from Liverpool on 19 August, crossing from Canada into the US on 21 August 1926.

Indianapolis News, 3 Sept 1926.

In October 1926, Robert appeared in the News again, performing with the Paramount Popular Four on the radio program for WFBM.

Indianapolis News, 5 October 1926.

Robert arrived in Indianapolis after leaving the Navy. He married Alma Elizabeth Eaves in 1921, and they welcomed a daughter, Mary Elizabeth, into the household in March 1922. The family appear together in the 1930 US Census in Indianapolis.

There is much more to Robert's story, he lived to be 90 years old. I will have a few more posts on Robert coming up.

Oscar

The oldest son of Andrew J. and Cora Halter made an appearance in the Indiana newspapers in 1909, when at the age of 12 he saved his little sister Rose from burning in a fire.

Newspapers.com, Indianapolis Star, 13 Nov 1909.

Oscar Halter survived the fire and operation. He signed a World War I draft registration card in June 1918.

He also appears in the 1920, 1930 and 1940 US Census in Evansville, Indiana. Oscar died on 23 February 1966.

Revisiting the Halter family

Back in February I wrote about my wife's 3rd-great-grandfather, Joseph Francois Halter. His son, her 2nd-great-grandfather, was Andrew Jackson Halter. The recent addition of the Evansville Press newspaper archives to Newspapers.com allowed me to find Andrew's death notice, which appeared in the 10 November 1919 edition of the paper.

Source: Newspapers.com

Andrew J. Halter was born 1 June 1867 in Warrick County, Indiana. He married Cora Belle Medcalf on 9 October 1895 in Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana. They had at least the following children:
- Oscar Lett Halter,  born 14 June 1896, died 23 February 1966
- Robert Adolfus Halter, born 11 February 1899, died 4 May 1989
- Earl J. Halter, born 7 December 1901, died 5 April 1920
- Arlie C. Halter, born 10 January 1904, died 28 January 1904
- Charles A. Halter, born 10 January 1904, died 10 January 1904
- Irma May Halter, born 28 July 1906, died 6 November 1988
- Rose Halter, died before 1910 [?]
- Calvin Luther Halter, born 16 May 1909, died 19 June 1979
- Richard Charles Halter, born 22 November 1912, died 30 December 2002
- Mildred Delta Halter, born 3 December 1914, died 22 September 1937
- Helen Halter, born 15 December 1917, died 6 April 1995
- Andrew Glenn Halter, born 31 December 1919, died 31 January 1945

Andrew and family appear in the 1900 US Census in Knight Township, Vanderburgh County, Indiana.

In the 1910 US Census, the family had moved to Ward 7 in Evansville.

Andrew worked as a laborer for various businesses in Evansville, Indiana. He died at the age of 52, leaving behind his pregnant wife Cora and 8 children. One month after Andrew's death, she delivered a son, naming him Andrew G. Halter.

Cora and family appear in the 1920 US Census (taken on 3 January 1920) in Evansville. Cora's son Earl died 3 months later. It is also interesting to see Cora was working as a farmer, which must have been difficult with young children in the house. Oldest son Oscar had married Ruth Wood on 18 November 1918, and they were living in the house at the time, so perhaps Ruth provided some assistance to Cora with the children.

By 1930, Cora was working as a maid, and her children Mildred, Richard and Helen appear in the household.

In 1940, Cora was living with her daughter Helen and grandchildren Marcella, Ethel and Laughlin.

Cora Halter died in Petoskey, Michigan on 19 October 1949. I don't have an obituary for Cora yet. There are quite a few news articles on Andrew and Cora's children. I'll post some of these during the week.

Merry Christmas 2015

Here's our family Christmas card for 2015. We're a bit colder than last year's card taken at Yellowstone. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!