Walter was born August 16, 1933, in a small country village called Baden in Clark County, Arkansas – 85 miles southwest of Little Rock. At the age of six he entered first grade in a one room black school. At the age of seven he relocated with his dad’s sister and her husband, Frank & Ellen Clark, to another village 45 miles south of where he had been born, to a place called Amy. Camden, Arkansas was the city down the road. He grew up there, attending an all-black school until the age of 17.

At the age of 17 and 11 months, he came to Beloit, Wisconsin with another one of his dad’s sisters and her husband, Oliver and Pinkey Nealey. He went to work for Fairbanks Morse in August 1951 at the age of 18 as a laborer in the Foundry Division. Later he entered machine shop training at the Wisconsin State Vocational School. After completion of training, he was transferred to the machine shop division, where he worked for 25 years.

During that time, he worked 15 years with the union – The United Steelworkers of America AFL-CIO. He served as shop steward, plant grievance committee man, plant union vice president and plant union president and chair of the plant contract bargaining committee.

In 1978 he went on a leave of absence to head up a Job Training Agency for Employee Services. He did this for the next 34 years. As the Executive Director of Rock County CIO, Walter recruited, trained and placed individuals in private sector jobs. He helped thousands of people strengthen their basic skills, clerical skills, and interview techniques. After helping Rock County succeed at work, Walter retired in 1998.

He had plenty to keep him busy. At the age of 19 he had et Sadie Brown. At 20 they were married. As Walter would say, “The rest is history.” He has four daughters, fourteen grandchildren and twenty great grandchildren.