Walter Stephen Markham

b. 7 December 1893, d. 27 June 1935
  • Walter Stephen Markham was born on 7 December 1893 in Bradford, McKean County, Pennsylvania.
  • Walter Stephen Markham registered for the draft on 5 June 1917 in Tulsa County, Oklahoma, while single and living at 602 East 19th in Tulsa, employed as general superintendent, J. H. Markham Jr. Oil Production Properties.
  • The following appeared on 27 June 1935 in The Bradford Era: Walter Stephen Markham, aged 41, a native of Bradford and son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John H. Markham, died suddenly of a heart attack in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, according to word received yesterday by relatives here.
         Mr. Markham, well known and most highly regarded by many local friends, attended the St. Bernard elementary schooland was graduated from St. Bernard High school. He attended Culver Military academy, Culver, Ind., and later went to Tulsa, Okla., where he became associated with his brother, the late John H. Markham, jr. He was prominently identified with the Carter Oil company in the Mid-continent field.
          On November 24, 1917, he accepted an appointment as 1st Lieut. and ordnance officer in the U.S. Army Reserve corps and was assigned to active duty four days later as officer chief of the Ordnance Carriage division, Washington, D.C.
         Mr. Markham sailed overseas April 17, 1918, for duty with the foreign branch of information section of the Ordnance department. He returned to the United States July 21, 1918, and proceeded to Washington.
         On September 14, 1918, he again sailed for France for duty at Tours. He was transferred to Paris on December 31, 1919, for duty with the postal express service.
         Mr. Markham accepted an appointment as captain in the Army Service corps on May 24, 1919. He returned to this country on September 15, that year, and was honorably discharged two days later in Washington, D.C.
         For some time following the war he acted as private secretary for an author in Beverly Hills, Calif. Recently he had been employed in the offices of the American Agricultural administration in Washington.
         One of the high spots of Mr. Markham's service record was his selection from 15,000 secret service men to deliver a message to President Wilson from Paris.
         Surviving are one brother, Robert Markham of Tulsa, and six sisters, the Misses Lillian and Jane Markham of Bradford, Mrs. Clair Updegrave of Gowanda, N.Y., Miss Frances Markham of New York, Mrs. Mabelle Simpson of Enid, Okla., and Mrs. Winifred Washabaugh of Wichita, Kan. Miss Jane Markham now is critically ill in the St. John hospital, Tulsa, where she recently underwent an operation.
         The body, accompanied by Miss Frances Markham and Raymond Richardson, the latter a friend with whom Mr. Markham shared an apartment at 1713 I Street, N.W., Washington, will arrive in Brandfor tonight. Funeral services have been tentatively set for St. Bernard's church here Saturday at 10 a.m.
         Funeral arrangements will be in charge of the Still funeral home.
  • Walter Stephen Markham died on 27 June 1935 at age 41 in Washington, District of Columbia.
  • He was interred at St. Bernard Cemetery, Bradford, McKean County, Pennsylvania.
  • The following appeared on 29 June 1935 in The Bradford Era: A requiem high mass will be said and military funeral services held here today for Walter S. Markham, former popular Bradford man who died Tuesday in Washington, D. C. Services will be at the markham home, 151 Congress street, at 9:30 a. m. and at 10 a. m. at St. Bernard's Catholic church. Burial will be in the Markham mausoleum in the St. Bernard cemetery. The Still funeral home is in charge of arrangements.
         The Veterans of Foreign Wars will be in charge of the services. Pall bearers will be Parker Melvin, Harold Goldstein, Brueil Hamilton, T. E. Hanley, Harold Johnston and Charles Muiqueen.
  • Last Edited: 5 May 2014