Family Birth: Walter Charles Jackson in 1890

My 1st cousin twice removed, Walter Charles Jackson, was born 125 years ago in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His mother, my 2nd great-aunt Katherine Jae Nehren Jackson, was one of the strongest women in my family tree and had to deal with heartache many times, but Walter's birth on April 25, 1890, had to be one of the happiest days of her life.

Walter had two half-brothers who died before he was born, so he was essentially an only child. After Kate's first husband died, she married Frank Jackson, the manager of her South Side tavern. Sometime between 1900 and 1910, Walter's family moved from Pittsburgh to East Liverpool, Ohio, and they opened a restaurant at 625 Jefferson Street. When Walter was 27 years old, his father died, and he took over the business.

Walter never married and must have been a colorful character based on the newspaper stories that mention the fines he received for selling liquor and organizing dice games at his restaurant. On May 31, 1926, at the age of 36, he passed away from a cerebral hemorrhage. Kate, who must have been so happy when her son was born, had to have been devastated to bury him. She had lost two husbands and all three of her sons.