February 11, 2010

Darius A. Walter

Darius A. Walter of Schoonover Farms died at home on Jan. 28, 2010, at the age of 87.

He was born Sept. 5, 1922, at Lake Byron, Huron, S.D., to Paul and Rachel Walter. In 1924 the family moved to Felger Farms Lethbridge, Alberta, to establish a new Hutterite colony. In 1947 he moved with his parents to Spring Creek Colony at Lewistown, Mont.

In 1946 he married Annie Wollman of Pincher Creek Colony in Alberta. To this union were born seven sons and three daughters: Betty (George Hofer) of Flat Willow, Roundup, Mont.; SaraRose (Peter Hofer) of Schoonover Farms, Wash.; Rosanna (Kevin Brendler) of Sarasota, Fla.; Wally (Marie), Frank (Marie), Herb (Kathy), Phillip (Suzanne), E.D. (Becky), Brocket of Alberta; and John of the home.

Also surviving are brother, Minister Henry (Mary) of Forty-Mile Colony Lodge of Grass, Mont; and sisters, Mary Stahl of Ayers Ranch Colony Grass Ranch, Mont., twins Susie Tschetter of Riverside Colony Fort McCleod, Alberta; Annie Walter (Mac) of Prairie Elk Colony in Wolfpoint, Mont., and Katie Walter of Forty-Mile, Rachel Stahl of Pennsylvania; 32 grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by brothers Paul and Eli of Forty-Mile Colony of Lodge Grass, Mont., his wife, Annie, in January 2001, pus two grandchildren, Ronald Frank and Travis.

In 1979 he moved to Schoonover Farms at Odessa with his own family to establish a new Hutterite community.

He is said to be a man of many trades. He was good at cement work, carpentry, etc. in his early years. In his later years he found his niche in being an accomplished machinist. The colony has many useful tools and mementoes he is said to have invented, including snap tools, paperweights and a butter churn, which is still used today.

He developed Parkinson’s disease in his last years.