Eli Walker was born in 1844, in Smith field township, this county, and was the son of John R. and Catherine (Krumrine) Walker, the former of whom was born in York county, Pennsylvania. and whose father, was a native of England. Catherine Krumrine was of German descent. Eli Walker was reared on the home farm, and in 1866 married Susan Wilderson, who was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, the daughter of Martin and Barbara (Crook) Martin, she having come to De Kalb county with her parents in about 1851. They located in Sumithfield township on a farm adjoining the Walker place. After his marriage Eli Walker farmed on shares on the old home farm for three years, and in 1872 bought the farm where he now lives a short distance north of Waterloo, where he has resided for over forty years. He put in many years of hard and strenuous labor during the pioneer period and when but a youth he hauled many loads of wheat to Fort Wayne with oxen, the trip requiring three days, and but few houses being passed on the way. The roads were only trails, and were in such a condition that at two hills on the journey he was compelled to carry half of the load uphill a sack at a time. He has for many years been active in the Democratic party, having held various offices, was supervisor for two years, justice of the peace for fourteen years, and a member of the board of county commissioners for one term. To him and his wife were born six children, namely: Mary, the wife of William Bachtel, lives one and one half miles west of Eli Walker, and they have two sons, Harry and Verne; Dora, the widow of Douglas Kelly, who was killed by a falling tree about tem years ago, and left one son, Walker Kelly, and a daughter, Emma; his widow afterwards married Clark Campbell and lives near her father; the daughter, Emma, died from the effects of scalding in 1913: Laura is the wife of Bert Canipbell, and lives three-quarters of a mile north and one mile west of her father, and they have two sons, Edward and Jerry; Ceranda is the wife of David Hamman, and they have two children, Lester and Mabel; Frank married Dora Gfellers, and they have three sons, Floyd, Russell and Carl; Daisy is the wife of Wid Childs, and they live on the home place with her father, and have a son, Ralph. Eli Walker is a member of the Knights of Pythias and Masonic order, while he and his wife belong to the Pythian Sisters and the Order of the Eastern Star.
https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011679893
