Walter is German in origin and most likely is the same as Walther. Many German Lutherans are familiar with the name C. F. W. Walther who started the Walther League for young people in the Lutheran Church in the United States. I wonder if their could be a connection somewhere?? The spelling of the name is very similar, so I believe there could be a connection. I only know about the Walter family through my connection with the REDWINE family.

I find this fascinating because I was raised in the Lutheran Church and all of my relatives on my father's side are German. Now I have found some German relatives on my mother's side. And would you believe it, my middle name just happens to be WALTER. I was named after my dad's first cousin, WALTER Mueller and Dr. WALTER Ehmann (both good staunch German Lutherans). My middle name & this tracing of the Walter surname is only a coincidence as my parents had no idea of any Walter connection when they named me.

I just recently (January 1999) learned of my connection to the Walter family of Germany and the Redwine family of Germany and Georgia thanks to Bobbie Lou Bridges who is also a descendant of James and Cynthia (Redwine) O'Kelly. The Redwines intermarried frequently with the Ballinger, Sartain, Bond, Wade, and other families of Georgia and Mississippi, so it is no wonder that I found this connection to the Redwines. My Garvins and O'Kellys lived in Madison County, Georgia and in Yalobusha County, Mississippi near the Redwines and these other families mentioned above. Many thanks also to Imogene Bennett, Tex Dick., and Nancy Guest for sharing what they know about the Redwine families.

Many thanks to Tex Dick for the early generations of this family. He is THE AUTHORITY on the Redwines.

Here is my WALTER lineage as far as can be determined:

1. Maria Catherine WALTER, b. ca. 1740; md. Johann Ludwig RIEDWEILENS, Jr. (as spelled in baptismal record; baptized 8 Dec 1740 in Freckenfeld Lutheran Church), also known as LEWIS REDWINE, b. 4 Dec. 1740 Freckenfeld, Germany, d. 21 Feb. 1809 Rowan Co., NC
2. Rev. William C. REDWINE, b. ca. 1775 Anson, NC, d. bef. 1841 Lafayette Co., MS; md. Malinda Lou COX, b. ca. 1770 NC, d. ? Mississippi
3. Cynthia REDWINE b. ca. 1801 NC, d. ca. 1856 MS; md. prob. Madison Co., GA to James O'KELLY, b. ca. 1797 GA, d. aft. 1850 MS
4. Elizabeth O'KELLY, b. ca. 1816 Madison Co., GA, d. ca. 1843 Lafayette Co., MS; md. ca. 1832 Madison Co., GA to Micajah Martin GARVIN, b. ca. 1812 VA, d. 29 Dec. 1870 Red River Co., TX
5. Henry Washington GARVIN, b. 28 June 1833 Madison Co., GA, d. 21 Feb. 1909 GARVIN Co., OK; md. 16 May 1851 Lafayette Co., MS to Elizabeth Ann SARTAIN, b. 30 July 1837 Madison Co., GA, d. 29 Oct. 1921 Katie, Garvin Co., OK (both buried in the Katie Cemetery)
6. McCager Martin GARVIN, b. 19 Oct. 1856 Newton Co., MS, d. 17 Dec. 1920 Frederick, Tillman Co., OK (buried at Hackberry Cemetery near Frederick, Oklahoma); md. 12 Dec. 1888 Jack Co., TX to Maizie Elmira Catherine SARTAIN, b. 7 Dec. 1871 Water Valley, MS, d. 15 Mar. 1954 Morton, Bailey Co., TX (buried in the Morton Cemetery) (1st cousins on the Sartain side)
7. Orpha Antonia Hazel GARVIN, b. 11 Nov. 1895 Jack Co., TX, d. 21 Dec. 1979 Cortez, Montezuma Co., CO; md. 12 Dec 1915 Parker Co., TX to William Earl HARRIS, b. 8 Aug. 1895 McNairy Co., TN, d. 5 Jan. 1967 Cortez, Montezuma Co., CO (both buried in the Dove Creek Cemetery, Dove Creek, CO) *These are my grandparents.

Tex Dick's Web Page, (has much info. on the descendants of Maria Catherine Walter and Lewis Redwine and descendants in GA & MS and families they intermarried with such as Ballinger, Bond, Sartain, and Wade) maintained by Tex Dick.

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Last updated June 1, 2003.