1A-C: Ann Eliza Guthrie
Guthrie Family Group 1A · Branch C · The Next Generation
Ann Eliza Guthrie & Daniel Walker
Armstrong & Butler Counties · Pennsylvania
Ann Eliza Guthrie, eldest child of William Guthrie and Jane Steele, was born in Perry Township, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, in 1842. She married Daniel Walker in March 1860, and they made their home in neighboring Butler County.
Their family story stretches from Daniel’s Irish origins to the farms and oil towns of western Pennsylvania. Follow their children and grandchildren through family ties, local records, and lives shaped by farming, teaching, and the oil industry.
The Family at a Glance
Ann Eliza Guthrie
- Parents
- William Guthrie & Jane Steele
- Birth
- 5 November 1842
Perry, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania - Family Home
- Parker, Butler County, Pennsylvania
- Death
- 19 December 1912
Parker, Butler County, Pennsylvania - Burial
- Bear Creek Cemetery, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Daniel Walker
- Parents
- Robert Walker & Margaret Bartley
- Birth
- 21 September 1827
Moy, County Tyrone, Ireland - Immigration
- Reportedly arrived in America in 1848.
- Occupation
- Farmer in the Bruin district of Butler County
- Death
- 14 March 1912
Parker, Butler County, Pennsylvania - Burial
- Bear Creek Cemetery, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Reported Marriage: March 1860 · Pennsylvania
Ann Eliza and Daniel’s family research identifies eleven children—six sons and five daughters—born between 1861 and 1876. Their household grew in the farming communities of Armstrong and Butler Counties, while the expanding oil industry opened new lines of work for their children and grandchildren.
Several marriages strengthened connections between neighboring families. Nancy Alice and Anna May married the Hiles brothers, Silas and Oliver. Samuel Robert and John Story married the Twaddle sisters, Margaret Frances and Elizabeth Blanche.
Explore the Next Generation
Select a child’s name to explore their story and family below.
| Child | Birth | Marriage & Later Life |
|---|---|---|
| William Guthrie Walker | 6 May 1861 | Married Lizzie J. Kelly on 15 March 1886. A Butler County farmer; five children are identified. Died 15 January 1942. |
| Margaret Jane Walker“Jennie” | 29 August 1862 | Married John “Perry” Snow on 18 March 1896. After his death, she lived with her brother George. No children are identified. Died 8 November 1942. |
| George Elmer Walker | 11 April 1864 | A schoolteacher and farmer who remained unmarried. No children are known. Died 6 January 1944. |
| Samuel Robert Walker | 25 September 1865 | Married Margaret Frances “Maggie” Twaddle on 27 November 1888. They raised five sons and one daughter. Died 28 February 1937. |
| Nancy Alice Walker“Alice” | 16 May 1867 | Married Silas L. Hiles on 19 April 1888. They lived in Perry, Armstrong County, and had four children. Died 10 March 1950. |
| Anna May Walker | 25 September 1868 | Married Oliver Hiles on 5 September 1894. They had two sons. Anna is reported to have lived to age ninety-six. |
| Daniel Walker Jr. | 11 July 1870 | Died 24 October 1872, aged two. He left no descendants. |
| John Story Walker | 31 January 1872 | Married Elizabeth Blanche Twaddle on 31 July 1902. An oil producer in the Bruin area; five children are identified. Died 31 March 1957. |
| Lula May WalkerAlso recorded as Lulu | September 1873 | Married John Pedro Brady on 27 October 1897. Their family of three children moved from Pennsylvania through Ohio and West Virginia to Kansas. |
| James Monroe Walker | 2 July 1875 | Married Blanche E. Way. They had two sons. James worked as an oil-field pumper and died 4 April 1965. |
| Lillian M. Walker“Lillie” | September 1876 | Married Edward Jennings Mildren and reportedly died about two years later. No children are documented. Buried at Brady’s Bend Cemetery in Armstrong County. |
Family Evidence Notes Open for the marriage date, the eleven children, name variants, and dates still to confirm.
The marriage date. The family research gives March 1860, and Daniel’s obituary also places the marriage in 1860. The same obituary says the couple celebrated their golden wedding three years before his death in 1912, which would instead suggest 1859. The original marriage record or an anniversary notice is needed to resolve that discrepancy.
Eleven children and nine survivors. The family list includes Daniel Jr., who died in 1872, and Lillian, who died after a short marriage. Daniel Sr.’s obituary names five surviving sons and four surviving daughters. That nine-child survivor count is consistent with the eleven-child family described here.
Names across the records. Ann Eliza appears as Anna in Daniel’s obituary. Margaret Jane was known as Jennie, Nancy Alice as Alice, and Lillian as Lillie. Lula also appears as Lulu. The obituary uses Heyl for the husbands of two Walker daughters, while the family research uses Hiles; preserve those spellings when searching or transcribing a particular record.
Dates still to confirm. Anna May is reported to have died at ninety-six, but her exact death date needs confirmation. Lula May’s death date and Lillian’s exact marriage and death dates also remain to be established. Lillian’s short marriage should not be converted into precise dates without supporting records.
Following Daniel from Ireland. Moy, County Tyrone, and an arrival in America at age twenty-one are reported in Daniel’s obituary. The family chronology gives 1848. A passenger, naturalization, church, or other contemporary record could help document that journey and his earlier Walker family.
Sources: the Guthrie Research Tree and associated family research; Daniel Walker’s obituary transcription; and the biographical sketches in History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (1895), pages 1330–1331. Supporting references appear in Explore the Records.
Children & Descendant Families
William, Jennie, George, and Samuel were the eldest of Ann Eliza and Daniel’s eleven children. Their stories follow the farms, schools, and oil fields of Butler County, with the next generation carrying family connections into other Pennsylvania communities and beyond.
1. William Guthrie Walker & Lizzie J. Kelly
William: 6 May 1861 – 15 January 1942 · Parker, Butler County, Pennsylvania
William was the eldest child of Daniel Walker and Ann Eliza Guthrie. The 1895 History of Butler County describes his education in the public schools and at Grove City College. He married Lizzie J. Kelly, daughter of William and Nancy J. Kelly of Parker Township, on 15 March 1886.
In 1891 he settled on a hundred-acre farm. The county history describes him as an active Republican who had served as an inspector of elections. It names the couple’s first three children; two more daughters, Anna Jane and Margaret, joined the family afterward.
William and Lizzie remained in Butler County and both died in 1942. They are buried at Bear Creek Cemetery in Petrolia.
William & Lizzie’s Five ChildrenOpen for marriages, occupations, and the next generation.
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| Lillian May Walker | 15 March 1888, Pennsylvania – 17 February 1976, PennsylvaniaA first-grade teacher. The family research places her marriage into the Haus family in the 1940s; this was her husband’s second marriage. Her husband owned a garage and worked as an automobile mechanic. No children are identified. |
| Lena Belle Walker | 25 July 1889, Pennsylvania – 22 January 1962, PennsylvaniaMarried into the Vogt family on 8 June 1918. Her husband worked in the oil-well and petroleum-refining industries. They had one son, born in 1919. |
| Charles Roland Walker | 4 October 1891, Pennsylvania – 5 May 1974, FloridaMarried on 30 October 1926. A dentist who later taught dentistry, Charles lived with his family in Petrolia before retiring to Florida, where Hollywood and Dania appear in the family research. They had one son, born in 1930. |
| Anna Jane Walker | 1898, Pennsylvania – 1985, PennsylvaniaMarried on 28 December 1927. Anna taught English, and her husband was a public accountant. The family’s census research identifies a daughter (1932) and a son (1933). A third child appears in an unsourced family-tree account but has not been identified. |
| Margaret Walker | Born 1902, Pennsylvania · Living after 1950Married into the Wormser family during the 1920s. Margaret worked as a hospital nurse and later in private employment; her husband was an embalmer. They lived in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. No children are identified. |
2. Margaret Jane “Jennie” Walker & John “Perry” Snow
Jennie: 29 August 1862 – 8 November 1942 · Butler County, Pennsylvania
Known to her family as Jennie, Margaret Jane Walker lived in Pennsylvania throughout her life. She married John “Perry” Snow on 18 March 1896, aged thirty-three. Perry was a son of Thomas and Fanny (Byers) Snow and worked as a day laborer.
The family’s census notes describe Perry as disabled by 1920. He died on 24 May 1920. Jennie then made her home with her unmarried brother George; they were enumerated together in 1930.
Jennie died of congestive heart failure on 8 November 1942, aged eighty. No children are identified for the couple.
3. George Elmer Walker
11 April 1864 – 6 January 1944 · Butler County, Pennsylvania
George worked as a farm hand in his youth and later became a schoolteacher. By his fifties, farming again appears as his occupation. He remained unmarried, and no children are known.
After Perry Snow’s death, George shared his home with his widowed sister Jennie. She died in 1942, and George followed on 6 January 1944. He is buried with other family members at Bear Creek Cemetery in Petrolia.
4. Samuel Robert Walker & Margaret Frances Twaddle
Samuel: 25 September 1865 – 28 February 1937 · Parker, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Samuel, the third son of Ann Eliza and Daniel, worked as a farm hand before becoming a farmer in his own right. On 27 November 1888, he married Margaret Frances “Maggie” Twaddle, daughter of James and Sarah (Sylvia) Twaddle.
They raised five sons and one daughter on their farm in Parker. Oil production, refining, military service, and skilled trades became prominent in the lives of their children.
Both Samuel and Maggie died in 1937. Samuel’s death on 28 February is attributed to gastric cancer; Maggie died on 26 August of a coronary occlusion. They are buried at Bear Creek Cemetery.
Samuel & Maggie’s Six ChildrenOpen for the Walker, Vogt, Kelly, Baldwin, Johnson, Sherwin, and associated families.
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| Wesley Daniel Walker |
28 December 1889, Pennsylvania – 18 November 1966, Pennsylvania
Also listed as Daniel W. in the family’s 1900 census research. Wesley worked as an oil-well pumper and later as an independent oil producer. He married Gertrude M. Vogt on 14 July 1913. Their daughter was born in 1918, and the family lived in Bruin. His draft registration of 5 June 1917 lists work in oil production, pumping, and bookkeeping. It includes a claim for exemption, with part of the wording still unclear. Gertrude died in 1962. Wesley was fatally struck by a car while crossing a street on 18 November 1966, aged seventy-six. He is buried at North Cemetery in Butler County. |
| James “Clarence” Walker |
20 October 1891, Bruin, Pennsylvania – 14 September 1958, Oakland, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Known as Clarence, he worked as a laborer and oil-well driller before entering refinery work. The family’s military account identifies him as a World War I private first class in Battery F, 323rd Light Field Artillery. He married Sarah Jane “Sadie” Kelly in the early 1920s. Their daughter was born in 1926. Clarence worked as a refinery filterer during the 1930s and later became a foreman. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage on 14 September 1958, aged sixty-six. Sadie died on 23 December 1964. Both are buried at Bear Creek Cemetery. |
| Ralph Herbert Walker |
4 December 1894, Bruin, Pennsylvania – 27 December 1952, Ohio
Ralph began in the oil industry and later worked as an automobile mechanic and crane operator. The family’s service account records his enlistment on 5 April 1917 with Company L, 16th Infantry, as a private first class. On 22 December 1919, in Wellsburg, Brooke County, West Virginia, he married into the Baldwin family. They had a daughter born in 1921 and a son born in 1923. Ralph later lived in Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio, where his World War II draft registration names his wife as his closest relative. In his fifties, he worked as a mail-order clerk for an automobile manufacturer; his wife worked as an employment manager. He died on 27 December 1952. |
| Edna B. Walker |
25 January 1898, Parker, Pennsylvania – 3 June 1986
Edna appears as a two-year-old in the family’s 1900 census account. She married Henry Bernard Johnson in the mid-1920s. Henry was born in New Jersey to Axel O. and Catherine (McDonough) Johnson. He was a pharmacist and an Army veteran of World War I. They had two daughters, born in 1924 and 1928, and a son born in 1929. Henry died of colon cancer on 23 October 1964. Edna survived him by twenty-two years, dying on 3 June 1986, aged eighty-eight. Both are buried at Rose Hill Cemetery in Butler County. |
| Edward “Dale” Walker |
18 April 1902, Bruin, Pennsylvania – 26 May 1981, Karns City, Butler County, Pennsylvania
Known as Dale, he married Ella Priscilla Sherwin on 23 June 1928. They had a son born in 1933 and a daughter born in 1936. Dale worked as an oil-well pumper and, by 1950, operated his own oil-production business. He died on 26 May 1981; Ella died in 2001. |
| Theodore Roosevelt Walker |
19 July 1907, Pennsylvania – 21 October 1953, Pennsylvania
The youngest of Samuel and Maggie’s children, Theodore worked in oil refining as a laborer and laboratory worker, and later in oil production. He married during the 1930s. His wife had completed two years of college and worked as a primary-grade teacher. Their two daughters were born in 1936 and 1942. |
Family Evidence Notes — Names, Service & OccupationsOpen for the unresolved details behind these sketches.
Wesley or Daniel? The 1900 census account uses Daniel W., while later records identify Wesley Daniel. The order used in one census does not establish his name at birth. His 1917 exemption claim mentions his wife and includes the partly transcribed phrase “heavy fire ___ obligation”; the original image is needed before interpreting it.
Clarence’s service dates. The family research gives an enlistment of 24 December 1917 and a discharge at Fort Dix, New Jersey, on 27 May 1918. These dates should be checked against his service or discharge papers before drawing conclusions about the duration or location of his service.
Ralph’s occupation. One transcription describes his oil-field work as “tool dentist.” The underlying record is needed to determine the intended occupation. His later work as a mechanic and crane operator does not settle the reading.
Dale’s census reference. A date given as 1830 cannot belong to Dale, who was born in 1902. The original citation must be checked before assigning that oil-pumper entry to a particular census year.
Sources: the family research and record references gathered in the Guthrie Research Tree; and History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (1895), pages 1330–1331. DNA participation and additional research leads appear in Explore the Records.
The Youngest Walker Children
Lula May, James Monroe, and Lillian were the youngest of Ann Eliza and Daniel’s eleven children. Lula’s family followed oil work west to Kansas, James raised his family in Pennsylvania, and Lillian’s life ended early in her marriage.
9. Lula May Walker & John Pedro Brady
Lula May: born September 1873, Butler County, Pennsylvania · Death date unconfirmed
Lula May, also called Lulu, married John Pedro Brady on 27 October 1897. John worked as an oil producer. They had three children: Bertha Laura, Ralph Jerome, and Fred Daniel.
The family moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio by 1900, then to West Virginia by 1910. By 1920, they were in Montgomery County, Kansas, where Independence became the family’s home. Their children’s lives continued to reflect these connections to the oil industry and its communities.
Lula & John’s Three ChildrenOpen for the Brady, Marden, and Perkins families.
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| Bertha Laura Brady |
4 February 1898, Pennsylvania – 7 September 1994, Independence, Kansas
Bertha moved with her parents through Ohio and West Virginia before settling in Kansas. Between 1925 and 1930, she married Theodore Raymond Marden. They had a daughter born in 1931. Theodore worked for a pipeline company, and Bertha taught in the city school system. Theodore died in 1963. Bertha died on 7 September 1994 in Independence, Kansas. |
| Ralph Jerome Brady |
6 November 1901, Antioch, Monroe County, Ohio – 10 January 1997, Chicago, Illinois
The elder Brady son, Ralph spent part of his childhood in Marion County, West Virginia, before the family moved to Independence, Kansas. He worked as an oil and gas pumper and later as a supervisor. Ralph remained unmarried, and no children are known. He moved to Chicago sometime after the 1950 census and died there on 10 January 1997. He is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Independence, Kansas. |
| Fred Daniel Brady |
9 December 1905, Salem, Harrison County, West Virginia – 26 May 1996, Oklahoma
Fred was born while his father worked as an oilfield driller in West Virginia. The family was in Montgomery County, Kansas, by 1920 and eventually settled in Independence. Fred also entered the oil industry as a pumper. On 3 November 1934, aged twenty-eight, he married Verna Alice Perkins. They were living in Oklahoma by 1935 and had a daughter born in 1939. Verna died in 1986. Fred died on 26 May 1996. Both are buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Independence, Kansas. |
10. James Monroe Walker & Blanche E. Way
James: 2 July 1875, Butler County – 4 April 1965, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
James Monroe was Ann Eliza and Daniel’s youngest son. He married Blanche E. Way, daughter of Jefferson Lincoln and Mary Margaret Way. They lived in Parker, Butler County, where James worked as an oilfield pumper and Blanche kept their home.
Their two sons were Paul Eugene and Dean Edward. Blanche died on 31 January 1956. James died following a sudden stroke on 4 April 1965 and was buried at Bear Creek Cemetery.
James & Blanche’s Two SonsOpen for the Walker, Shaffer, and Monroe families.
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| Paul Eugene Walker |
Born in Bruin, Butler County, Pennsylvania; birth year unresolved, 1915 or 1916 · Died 30 April 2001, Florida
Paul’s individual family sketch gives his birth as 12 June 1915, while his parents’ family summary gives 1916. A supporting birth record is needed to resolve the difference. An automotive mechanic, Paul married Leah Marie Shaffer. They had seven children: four sons and three daughters. One son died in infancy following a premature birth. Paul and Leah moved to Florida in 1972. Leah died on 14 April 1992 in Zellwood, Orange County. Paul died on 30 April 2001 in Florida. |
| Dean Edward Walker |
23 October 1917, Bruin, Butler County, Pennsylvania – 28 August 1988, Pennsylvania
Dean worked in the oil industry as a laborer and refinery laboratory technician. His World War II draft account names his employer as the Ultra Penn. Refining Company in Bruin. He served on active duty in the Army from 22 April 1941 to 9 November 1945, with domestic and overseas assignments, including service as a sergeant in the Panama Canal Zone. He was discharged at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. On 5 August 1965, aged forty-seven, Dean married Francis “Margaret” Monroe in Winchester, Virginia. They had one daughter. He later worked as a quality assurance representative for the United States Department of Defense. After retiring in 1975, Dean continued maintaining oil wells in northern Butler County. He died on 28 August 1988 in the burn unit at West Penn Hospital, following injuries in an oil-line explosion five days earlier. Margaret had predeceased him by a year. Both are buried at Bear Creek Cemetery in Petrolia. |
11. Lillian M. Walker & Edward Jennings Mildren
Lillian: born September 1876, Parker, Butler County, Pennsylvania · Exact marriage and death dates unconfirmed
Called Lillie, Lillian was the youngest child of Ann Eliza and Daniel. She married Edward Jennings Mildren, an oil producer and employer, when she was twenty-four.
The family account reports that Lillie died about two years into their marriage. No children are documented. She is buried at Brady’s Bend Cemetery in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.
Edward married again on 3 June 1906, in Washington, Ohio, to Harriet Margaret “Hattie” Switzer. Their three daughters and one son were born between 1908 and 1919. These four children belong to Edward’s second marriage and are not children of Lillian.
Hattie died in Ohio in 1929. Edward died in 1955.
Family Evidence Notes — Unconfirmed DatesOpen for Lula May, Paul Eugene, and Lillian’s records.
Lula May’s later life. Her death date has not been established in the family research. The Brady family’s residences provide a trail through Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kansas, but the exact dates of their moves remain to be confirmed.
Paul Eugene’s birth. The individual sketch gives 12 June 1915; the parents’ summary gives 1916. Neither year should be treated as settled until a birth record or other reliable contemporary source resolves the conflict.
Lillian’s short marriage. Her reported age at marriage and the statement that she died about two years later do not establish exact dates. A marriage record, obituary, death record, or cemetery entry is needed. Edward’s 1906 remarriage and later children must remain separate from Lillian’s family account.
Sources: family research and census, marriage, military, death, and cemetery references gathered in the Guthrie Research Tree. Additional references, DNA participation, and open research questions appear in Explore the Records.
The Youngest Walker Children
Lula May, James Monroe, and Lillian were the youngest of Ann Eliza and Daniel’s eleven children. Lula’s family followed oil work west to Kansas, James raised his family in Pennsylvania, and Lillian’s life ended early in her marriage.
9. Lula May Walker & John Pedro Brady
Lula May: born September 1873, Butler County, Pennsylvania · Death date unconfirmed
Lula May, also called Lulu, married John Pedro Brady on 27 October 1897. John worked as an oil producer. They had three children: Bertha Laura, Ralph Jerome, and Fred Daniel.
The family moved from Pennsylvania to Ohio by 1900, then to West Virginia by 1910. By 1920, they were in Montgomery County, Kansas, where Independence became the family’s home. Their children’s lives continued to reflect these connections to the oil industry and its communities.
Lula & John’s Three ChildrenOpen for the Brady, Marden, and Perkins families.
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| Bertha Laura Brady |
4 February 1898, Pennsylvania – 7 September 1994, Independence, Kansas
Bertha moved with her parents through Ohio and West Virginia before settling in Kansas. Between 1925 and 1930, she married Theodore Raymond Marden. They had a daughter born in 1931. Theodore worked for a pipeline company, and Bertha taught in the city school system. Theodore died in 1963. Bertha died on 7 September 1994 in Independence, Kansas. |
| Ralph Jerome Brady |
6 November 1901, Antioch, Monroe County, Ohio – 10 January 1997, Chicago, Illinois
The elder Brady son, Ralph spent part of his childhood in Marion County, West Virginia, before the family moved to Independence, Kansas. He worked as an oil and gas pumper and later as a supervisor. Ralph remained unmarried, and no children are known. He moved to Chicago sometime after the 1950 census and died there on 10 January 1997. He is buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Independence, Kansas. |
| Fred Daniel Brady |
9 December 1905, Salem, Harrison County, West Virginia – 26 May 1996, Oklahoma
Fred was born while his father worked as an oilfield driller in West Virginia. The family was in Montgomery County, Kansas, by 1920 and eventually settled in Independence. Fred also entered the oil industry as a pumper. On 3 November 1934, aged twenty-eight, he married Verna Alice Perkins. They were living in Oklahoma by 1935 and had a daughter born in 1939. Verna died in 1986. Fred died on 26 May 1996. Both are buried at Mount Hope Cemetery in Independence, Kansas. |
10. James Monroe Walker & Blanche E. Way
James: 2 July 1875, Butler County – 4 April 1965, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania
James Monroe was Ann Eliza and Daniel’s youngest son. He married Blanche E. Way, daughter of Jefferson Lincoln and Mary Margaret Way. They lived in Parker, Butler County, where James worked as an oilfield pumper and Blanche kept their home.
Their two sons were Paul Eugene and Dean Edward. Blanche died on 31 January 1956. James died following a sudden stroke on 4 April 1965 and was buried at Bear Creek Cemetery.
James & Blanche’s Two SonsOpen for the Walker, Shaffer, and Monroe families.
| Child | Life & Family |
|---|---|
| Paul Eugene Walker |
Born in Bruin, Butler County, Pennsylvania; birth year unresolved, 1915 or 1916 · Died 30 April 2001, Florida
Paul’s individual family sketch gives his birth as 12 June 1915, while his parents’ family summary gives 1916. A supporting birth record is needed to resolve the difference. An automotive mechanic, Paul married Leah Marie Shaffer. They had seven children: four sons and three daughters. One son died in infancy following a premature birth. Paul and Leah moved to Florida in 1972. Leah died on 14 April 1992 in Zellwood, Orange County. Paul died on 30 April 2001 in Florida. |
| Dean Edward Walker |
23 October 1917, Bruin, Butler County, Pennsylvania – 28 August 1988, Pennsylvania
Dean worked in the oil industry as a laborer and refinery laboratory technician. His World War II draft account names his employer as the Ultra Penn. Refining Company in Bruin. He served on active duty in the Army from 22 April 1941 to 9 November 1945, with domestic and overseas assignments, including service as a sergeant in the Panama Canal Zone. He was discharged at Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania. On 5 August 1965, aged forty-seven, Dean married Francis “Margaret” Monroe in Winchester, Virginia. They had one daughter. He later worked as a quality assurance representative for the United States Department of Defense. After retiring in 1975, Dean continued maintaining oil wells in northern Butler County. He died on 28 August 1988 in the burn unit at West Penn Hospital, following injuries in an oil-line explosion five days earlier. Margaret had predeceased him by a year. Both are buried at Bear Creek Cemetery in Petrolia. |
11. Lillian M. Walker & Edward Jennings Mildren
Lillian: born September 1876, Parker, Butler County, Pennsylvania · Exact marriage and death dates unconfirmed
Called Lillie, Lillian was the youngest child of Ann Eliza and Daniel. She married Edward Jennings Mildren, an oil producer and employer, when she was twenty-four.
The family account reports that Lillie died about two years into their marriage. No children are documented. She is buried at Brady’s Bend Cemetery in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania.
Edward married again on 3 June 1906, in Washington, Ohio, to Harriet Margaret “Hattie” Switzer. Their three daughters and one son were born between 1908 and 1919. These four children belong to Edward’s second marriage and are not children of Lillian.
Hattie died in Ohio in 1929. Edward died in 1955.
Family Evidence Notes — Unconfirmed DatesOpen for Lula May, Paul Eugene, and Lillian’s records.
Lula May’s later life. Her death date has not been established in the family research. The Brady family’s residences provide a trail through Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, and Kansas, but the exact dates of their moves remain to be confirmed.
Paul Eugene’s birth. The individual sketch gives 12 June 1915; the parents’ summary gives 1916. Neither year should be treated as settled until a birth record or other reliable contemporary source resolves the conflict.
Lillian’s short marriage. Her reported age at marriage and the statement that she died about two years later do not establish exact dates. A marriage record, obituary, death record, or cemetery entry is needed. Edward’s 1906 remarriage and later children must remain separate from Lillian’s family account.
Sources: family research and census, marriage, military, death, and cemetery references gathered in the Guthrie Research Tree. Additional references, DNA participation, and open research questions appear in Explore the Records.
Family Timeline
Follow Ann Eliza and Daniel from their separate beginnings to a Pennsylvania household of eleven children and a family reaching beyond the state.
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Daniel’s Irish Beginnings
Daniel Walker was born in Moy, County Tyrone, Ireland, a son of Robert Walker and Margaret Bartley.
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Ann Eliza Is Born in Pennsylvania
Ann Eliza Guthrie, eldest child of William Guthrie and Jane Steele, was born in Perry, Armstrong County, Pennsylvania. Her father reportedly came from Ireland; her own life began in the Pennsylvania community where her mother’s family lived.
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ReportedDaniel Comes to America
The family research places Daniel’s immigration in 1848. His obituary says he arrived at twenty-one and first settled at Miller’s Eddy. A passenger record or other contemporary arrival document is still needed to establish the journey more precisely.
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Ann Eliza Loses Her Father
William Guthrie reportedly drowned in a California river while engaged in contracting there. Ann Eliza was seven. Jane remained in Pennsylvania with the children. The circumstances are discussed on the William Guthrie & Jane Steele Family Hub.
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The Guthrie–Knox Household
Ann Eliza’s mother married George Knox in Pennsylvania. Jane and George later had seven children together, extending Ann Eliza’s family with Knox half-siblings. Their family lived in Armstrong and Butler Counties.
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ReportedAnn Eliza & Daniel Marry
The family chronology places their marriage in Pennsylvania in March 1860. Daniel’s obituary also names 1860, but its golden-wedding statement suggests an earlier year. The discrepancy remains open; see the Timeline Evidence Notes below.
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1861–1868
The First Six Children
The Walker household grew with three sons and three daughters:
- William Guthrie Walker — 6 May 1861
- Margaret Jane “Jennie” Walker — 29 August 1862
- George Elmer Walker — 11 April 1864
- Samuel Robert Walker — 25 September 1865
- Nancy Alice Walker — 16 May 1867
- Anna May Walker — 25 September 1868
Their family’s home and livelihood centered on farming in the Armstrong–Butler County area.
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1870–1872
Two Sons, Then a Childhood Loss
Daniel Walker Jr. was born on 11 July 1870, followed by John Story Walker on 31 January 1872.
On 24 October 1872, little Daniel died at two years of age. His place among the eleven children remains part of the family’s history even though he left no descendants.
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1873–1876
The Youngest Children Arrive
- Lula May Walker — September 1873
- James Monroe Walker — 2 July 1875
- Lillian M. “Lillie” Walker — September 1876
Ann Eliza and Daniel’s eleven children comprised six sons and five daughters.
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1886–1902
New Households & Interwoven Families
William married Lizzie J. Kelly on 15 March 1886. Nancy Alice married Silas Hiles in April 1888, and Samuel married Maggie Twaddle that November. Anna May married Oliver Hiles in 1894, Jennie married Perry Snow in 1896, and Lula married John Pedro Brady in 1897.
John Story’s marriage to Elizabeth Blanche Twaddle followed in July 1902. The two Hiles husbands were brothers; the two Twaddle wives were sisters.
Farming continued into the next generation. The 1895 county history describes William’s move in 1891 to a farm of one hundred acres.
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1900–1910
Lula’s Family Moves Beyond Pennsylvania
Lula and John Brady were in Ohio by 1900 and West Virginia by 1910. John’s oil work carried this branch beyond the Pennsylvania communities where Ann Eliza and Daniel remained. Daniel’s 1912 obituary placed their daughter, Mrs. John Brady, at Metz, West Virginia.
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Daniel Dies at Home
Daniel died in Parker, Butler County. His obituary remembered a farmer of the Bruin district who had held township offices and belonged to the United Presbyterian Church at Fairview. He was buried at Bear Creek Cemetery.
Ann Eliza survived him, together with five sons and four daughters. Daniel Jr. and Lillian had died before their father.
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Ann Eliza Dies Later That Year
Ann Eliza died in Parker, Butler County, aged seventy. She was buried at Bear Creek Cemetery, where Daniel and several members of their family are also buried. Their descendants continued in Pennsylvania and in communities farther west.
Timeline Evidence Notes — Open for Dates & Sources
The Marriage & Golden-Wedding Discrepancy
The family chronology gives March 1860, and Daniel’s obituary also says the couple married in 1860. Yet the same obituary states that they celebrated their golden wedding three years earlier. Read against his 1912 death, that statement implies 1859. A marriage record, anniversary notice, or the original dated obituary is needed to resolve the inconsistency.
Eleven Children, Nine Surviving in 1912
The count of five sons and four daughters in Daniel’s obituary is consistent with eleven births followed by the deaths of Daniel Jr. and Lillian. Lillian’s exact marriage and death dates remain unconfirmed, so no precise death year is assigned to her on this timeline.
Reported Dates & Family Records
Daniel’s 1848 arrival is reported in the family research; his obituary supplies his age at arrival and the Miller’s Eddy location. The month and circumstances of William Guthrie’s death and Jane’s remarriage are carried forward from the parent Family Hub. These summaries identify the events to investigate; they do not replace the original records.
Sources for Further Reading
The family research and associated records are gathered in the Guthrie Research Tree. The 1895 History of Butler County, Pennsylvania includes Daniel’s account on page 1330 and William’s on pages 1330–1331.
See Explore the Records for additional resources, DNA participation, and the documents still being sought.
Historical Highlights
A Pennsylvania Family in an Age of Change
Ann Eliza’s childhood was marked by her father’s death far from home. Her adult life unfolded on a Pennsylvania farm as oil development transformed nearby communities.
The family she formed with Daniel Walker connects those experiences with another generation of farmers, oil workers, teachers, and people entering the professions.
Keeping Ann Eliza in Her Own Story
Born in 1842, Ann Eliza was seven when her father, William Guthrie, reportedly drowned in a California river while working as a contractor in October 1850. Her mother, Jane Steele, continued raising the children in Pennsylvania and married George Knox in 1856. Ann Eliza’s family circle therefore included both Guthrie siblings and Knox half-siblings.
Her marriage to Daniel is reported in March 1860. Their eleven children were born between 1861 and 1876. They lost little Daniel in 1872, and their youngest daughter, Lillian, died early in her own marriage. Ann Eliza survived her husband by nine months in 1912.
The surviving account says more about Daniel’s public life than Ann Eliza’s daily experiences. Letters, photographs, family Bibles, and memories passed down through her children could help recover her voice and the details of the home they shared.
Irish Beginnings & Pennsylvania Farming
Daniel’s family research places his birth in Moy, County Tyrone, Ireland, in 1827 and his arrival in America in 1848. His obituary describes his first settlement at Miller’s Eddy and remembers him as a farmer of the Bruin district. It also records his service in township offices and membership in the United Presbyterian Church at Fairview.
Farming remained important as the children established households of their own. The 1895 county history describes their eldest son, William Guthrie Walker, as educated in the public schools and at Grove City College. In 1891, he settled on a farm of one hundred acres. He also served as an election inspector.
These accounts place the family within the agricultural, educational, and civic life of northeastern Butler County. The growth of oil production added new occupations to that setting.
The Oil Boom Comes to Bear Creek Valley
The 1883 History of Butler County places the striking of the Fanny Jane well at Petrolia on or about 1 April 1872. It describes the rapid construction of houses, shops, and stores around the successful well. Petrolia became a borough in February 1873. The 1895 history likewise connects the town’s sudden growth with the April 1872 strike.
That regional change forms the background to occupations found throughout the Walker family. John Story Walker moved from farm work into oil production, while James Monroe Walker worked as a pumper. Their brothers-in-law Silas and Oliver Hiles combined farm work with building oil rigs or carpentry in the oil-well industry.
Oil work also appears in the next generation, including Wesley Daniel Walker’s work as a producer, pumper, and bookkeeper and the Brady sons’ work as pumpers. Lula May and John Pedro Brady’s family moved through Ohio and West Virginia before settling in Kansas.
Local context: 1883 county history, “Butler County Oil Development,” pages 133–134, and 1895 county history, “Petrolia Borough.”
Classrooms, Nursing & the Professions
Teaching appears repeatedly in the family accounts. Ann Eliza and Daniel’s son George Elmer Walker taught school before returning to farming. Among their granddaughters, Lillian May Walker taught first grade, Anna Jane Walker taught English, Blanche Alice Walker taught elementary school, and Bertha Laura Brady worked in a city school system.
Other grandchildren pursued health professions. Margaret Walker, daughter of William and Lizzie, worked as a hospital nurse and later in private employment. Her brother Charles Roland Walker became a dentist and dental educator. Their careers broaden the family story beyond the farm and oil field.
Family Ties Across Households & Distance
Two pairs of sibling marriages linked the Walker family closely with its neighbors. Nancy Alice and Anna May Walker married the Hiles brothers, Silas and Oliver. Samuel Robert and John Story Walker married the Twaddle sisters, Maggie and Elizabeth Blanche.
Family connections also shaped later households. After Perry Snow’s death, his widow, Jennie Walker Snow, lived with her unmarried brother George. Lula’s family established homes farther west, while many of her siblings remained in Pennsylvania.
Following these connected households helps explain why a Walker relative may appear in Hiles, Twaddle, Snow, Brady, or other family records. Each branch offers another place to look for photographs, correspondence, and memories of Ann Eliza and Daniel.
Reading & Resources — Open for Books & Local History
Family Research & County Histories
- Guthrie Research Tree. Ann Eliza Guthrie’s profile and family records, including the research behind the descendant accounts on this page.
- History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (1895). R. C. Brown & Co. Daniel Walker’s sketch appears on page 1330 and William Guthrie Walker’s on pages 1330–1331. Open the book record or the saved viewer location for William’s sketch.
- History of Butler County, Pennsylvania (1883). Chapter XIV, “Butler County Oil Development”, particularly pages 133–134. The linked text is Andrea Leone’s transcription hosted by the Butler County PAGenWeb project.
- Petrolia Borough in the 1895 county history. Chapter XLVI, transcribed by Betty Shakeley, provides a second account of the town’s development.
Local History & Research Guides
- FamilySearch Research Wiki: Butler County, Pennsylvania Genealogy — a guide to records and repositories.
- Former Western PA Oil Boom Towns: Petrolia — a local overview with references to county histories and other accounts.
- SAH Archipedia: Karns City and Petrolia — further reading on the area’s built environment.
- Bryan Clyde Black (1996): Petrolia: The Landscape of Pennsylvania’s Oil Boom, 1859–1873. University of Kansas dissertation, ProQuest publication number 9637300; preview.
Reading the Evidence
The well’s name appears as Fanny Jane in the 1883 history and Fannie Jane in the 1895 account. The earlier text qualifies the strike date as on or about 1 April. These county histories establish the local setting; individual family records establish the Walkers’ occupations and relationships.
The marriage-date discrepancy, incomplete vital dates, and other family questions remain listed in the evidence notes and Explore the Records.
Explore the Records
Follow the evidence behind Ann Eliza and Daniel’s family, explore the Guthrie DNA connection, and help resolve the dates and relationships still awaiting documentation.
The Guthrie DNA Project
Ann Eliza belongs to GFG1A–Branch C through her parents, William Guthrie and Jane Steele. A direct male-line descendant of her brother William C Guthrie supplies the family’s recorded GFG1A Y-DNA match.
Ann Eliza’s descendants can investigate this ancestry through family records and autosomal DNA. Her father’s Y chromosome did not pass through her to the Walker children, so Guthrie paternal Y-DNA and Big-Y representation are N/A for every child line below.
Family Group: GFG1A · Branch: CParticipation and findings reflect project material reviewed from 2–4 October 2026.
Which Descendant Lines Are Represented?
Select a child’s name to explore that family.
| Child | Y-DNA | Big-Y | Autosomal |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Guthrie Walker | N/A | N/A | — |
| Margaret Jane “Jennie” WalkerNo children reported | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| George Elmer WalkerNo descendants known | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Samuel Robert Walker | N/A | N/A | — |
| Nancy Alice Walker | N/A | N/A | — |
| Anna May Walker | N/A | N/A | — |
| Daniel Walker Jr.Died at age two | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| John Story Walker | N/A | N/A | — |
| Lula May Walker | N/A | N/A | — |
| James Monroe Walker | N/A | N/A | — |
| Lillian M. WalkerNo children documented | N/A | N/A | N/A |
— = no participant through that child line was identified in the reviewed project material. N/A in Y-DNA and Big-Y means Ann Eliza could not transmit her father’s Y chromosome. In Autosomal, N/A identifies a child with no known descendants in the present family research.
A dash does not mean that no descendant has tested elsewhere. Autosomal representation records a participant’s documented family connection; it does not by itself identify DNA inherited from this particular couple.
What Have We Learned?
The Guthrie connection is supported through Ann Eliza’s brother’s paternal line. William C’s descendant matches GFG1A at Y37. That result supports the broader family placement while leaving William Guthrie’s parents and the connecting generations to other GFG1A branches unresolved.
No participant through Ann Eliza and Daniel was identified in the reviewed roster. The recorded Branch C autosomal participants follow William C’s family. Their entries do not supply representation for one of the Walker children.
Autosomal comparisons could add evidence when paired with documented lineages. Connections through the Hiles, Twaddle, and other associated families also need consideration when evaluating shared matches.
Participant Lineages & Test Details — Open to Explore
The Brother’s Line Used for the Guthrie Comparison
William Guthrie & Jane Steele
William C Guthrie & Lavina Alice Crawford
Daniel Walker Guthrie & Harriet Irene Blind
Later descendants
Kit 563776 is recorded with Y37 and Family Finder. Another autosomal participant follows this same William C family route. No participant lineage through Ann Eliza is identified in the reviewed material.
Daniel Walker Guthrie in this lineage is William C’s son. He is a different person from Ann Eliza’s husband, Daniel Walker.
Explore the William C Guthrie family page and the William Guthrie & Jane Steele Family Hub for the collateral family connection.
STR & Big-Y Findings — Open for the Supporting Detail
What the Branch C Y37 Result Shows
Kit 563776 differs by three steps from the observed GFG1A Y37 modal, at DYS447, DYS464, and CDY. The modal is the most common marker pattern in the reviewed group sample; it is not a DNA result from a tested historical ancestor.
The CDY overlap with Craigie and Snow Hill results does not establish either as William Guthrie’s immediate ancestral branch. The reviewed evidence contains no Branch C Big-Y result to refine that placement.
Why All Walker Child Lines Show N/A
Y-DNA and Big-Y follow a continuous father-to-son line. A paternal descendant of Daniel Walker would investigate the Walker paternal line. To investigate Ann Eliza’s Guthrie paternal ancestry, the comparison must come through an unbroken male line from one of her Guthrie brothers or another appropriate Guthrie male relative.
See FamilyTreeDNA’s explanation of Y-DNA inheritance and the GFG1A Family Group Hub.
Testing Opportunities — How Can Descendants Contribute?
Autosomal Comparisons Through Different Children
Descendants through sons or daughters can contribute their documented line from themselves back to Ann Eliza and Daniel. Comparisons among descendants of different Walker children, and with descendants of Ann Eliza’s Guthrie siblings, may help investigate shared ancestry.
Evaluate the match’s full pedigree and other possible shared ancestors. Distant relatives may share little or no detectable autosomal DNA, so a missing match alone does not disprove a documented relationship. FamilyTreeDNA explains the inheritance pattern in What Is Autosomal DNA?
Additional Guthrie Paternal Comparisons
A documented father-to-son descendant of Ann Eliza’s brothers John Steele, Hugh, or Samuel Steele could add an independent comparison with William C’s line. Additional testing within an appropriate Guthrie male line could also help clarify Branch C’s position.
Joining & Sharing Your Family Research
Visit Joining the DNA Project and Choosing a DNA Test. Provide the generations connecting the tester to the family, with names, dates, spouses, and supporting sources.
DNA testing is not required to contribute to Guthrie Genealogy. Records, photographs, corrections, and family stories are welcome. Project membership does not guarantee individual autosomal analysis or a placement beyond what the evidence supports.
Records to Follow
| Source or Record | Research Value |
|---|---|
| Guthrie Research TreeAnn Eliza’s profile and linked family. | Follow the citations behind each generation. Compare full record images with indexes, transcriptions, and later family summaries. |
| Federal Census RecordsGuthrie, Knox, Walker, and married children’s households. | Trace changing households, ages, birthplaces, occupations, and nearby relatives. Follow the Brady family through Ohio, West Virginia, and Kansas as well as the Pennsylvania families. |
| 1895 Butler County HistoryDaniel, page 1330; William, pages 1330–1331. | Compare the published biographies with family records, deeds, and census entries. Publication-era child lists describe the household at that time and may omit children born later. |
| Marriage & Church RecordsPennsylvania State Archives guide. | For Ann Eliza and Daniel’s reported 1860 marriage, seek church or minister’s registers, Bible entries, and newspaper notices. Pennsylvania’s county marriage-license system began on 30 September 1885; later descendants’ marriages may appear in those county records. |
| Death Records, Obituaries & CemeteriesPennsylvania death records guide. | State death certificates began in 1906, making them a useful source for the couple’s 1912 deaths. Compare certificates and newspaper notices with Bear Creek Cemetery records; investigate Lillian’s burial at Brady’s Bend separately. |
| Deeds, Estates & Household PapersArmstrong and Butler County records; family collections. | Look for farm transactions, estate distributions, named heirs, married daughters, and relationships not fully described in census entries. Letters and photographs may preserve Ann Eliza’s experiences and family connections. |
| Military & Occupational RecordsGrandchildren’s draft, service, employment, and school records. | Use original images to resolve uncertain service dates and occupational wording. Keep draft registration, enlistment, overseas service, and discharge as separate events. |
The full book list and local-history links appear in Historical Highlights — Reading & Resources.
Research Notes — Open for Names, Dates & Evidence
The Marriage-Date Question
The family chronology gives March 1860. Daniel’s obituary also names 1860, but says the couple celebrated their golden wedding three years before his 1912 death, implying 1859. Preserve the discrepancy until a contemporary record resolves it.
Names & Family Connections
Search Ann Eliza and Anna, Jennie for Margaret Jane, Alice for Nancy Alice, Lulu and Lula, and Lillie for Lillian. The Hiles surname appears as Heyl in Daniel’s obituary. Kelly/Kelley, Shakely/Shakley, and Schoenfeld/Shoenfeld are additional variants worth comparing in the relevant family records.
Conflicting Dates Remain Open
Paul Eugene Walker: 12 June 1915 in his individual sketch, but 1916 in his parents’ summary. Richard Russell Walker: death on 20 April, with competing years of 1988 and 1998. Anna May’s exact death date, Lula’s death date, and Lillian’s marriage and death dates also require confirmation.
Return to the Original Image
Wesley Daniel Walker’s 1917 draft exemption includes an unclear phrase; Ralph Herbert Walker’s reported occupation includes the puzzling wording “tool dentist.” James Clarence Walker’s reported 27 May 1918 discharge date needs comparison with the original service record. Edward Dale Walker’s census reference needs its correct year established.
The birth and marriage dates reported for Eveline Anna Walker make her sixteen on her wedding day in 1929. Confirm both dates in their original records when resolving the differing age statement.
Most Wanted Documents — Help Answer the Family’s Open Questions
- Ann Eliza and Daniel’s marriage. A church entry, minister’s register, Bible record, marriage notice, or golden-anniversary account to resolve 1859 versus March 1860.
- The couple’s 1912 records. Full death certificates, original dated obituaries, estate papers, and Bear Creek Cemetery entries, especially an obituary or personal account centered on Ann Eliza.
- Daniel’s Irish family and arrival. A record connecting him to Robert Walker and Margaret Bartley in the Moy area, together with passenger or naturalization evidence for the reported 1848 immigration.
- The daughters’ missing dates. Death or cemetery records for Anna May and Lula; Lillian’s marriage to Edward Jennings Mildren, her death notice, and her Brady’s Bend burial entry.
- The grandchildren’s conflicting dates. Paul Eugene Walker’s birth record and Richard Russell Walker’s death record or obituary. These are needed to settle the competing years.
- Clear military and census images. Wesley’s 1917 draft card, Clarence’s discharge record, Ralph’s occupational entry, and the census page behind Edward Dale’s misdated reference.
- Family photographs, Bibles, and correspondence. Identified photographs and letters connecting the Guthrie, Knox, Walker, Hiles, Twaddle, Snow, and Brady households. Include the names, approximate date, location, and source of each item when known.
Have a record or correction to share? Include the full image or citation and explain how the people named connect to your family. A small detail may answer a question that a name-and-date list cannot.
Every family holds a piece of the story
Is This Your Piece of the Puzzle?
The story of Ann Eliza Guthrie and Daniel Walker continues through their children’s families and the records and memories passed down with them. Your family may hold a photograph, a letter, or a detail that brings one of these lives into clearer view.
What might your family add? Family Bibles, identified photographs, obituaries, correspondence, and records of the Walker, Hiles, Twaddle, Snow, and Brady families could help answer an open question or give us a fuller picture of everyday life. Corrections and new sources are welcome, too.
Tell us which child’s family connects to yours, and include the names, dates, places, and sources you have. Family historians are welcome to contribute a family story, biographical sketch, research findings, or reading recommendations for review and inclusion. You can participate with or without DNA results.