Mason Resident Closes In On A Century In 2000
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Walter Wolever has seen and done a lot over his life.
Ninety-nine years offer ample opportunity to experience a wide range of pursuits, and Wolever has made the most of his time.
Born on July 13, 1900, in Lafayette, Wolever taught school, toured the country, became an expert gardener and rubbed elbows with some notable celebrities during his almost-century in Indiana.
He moved to Kosciusko County in 1957 with his wife, Mary (Bushong) Wolever, after they both retired from teaching in the Lafayette school system.
"Mary was from the Lake Wawasee area and she kind of wanted to come back here. That was enough to get me moving," he said.
They purchased three acres in the Bel Rohr park subdivision on Lake Tippecanoe and soon moved into the home that Walter himself built.
The Wolevers became accomplished gardeners in their retirement years, supplying their neighbors with up to 50 different varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowers through a roadside cart and sold on the "honor system," with people leaving money in a jelly glass for whatever they took.
"It was an accommodation to the people around there," Walter said.
Prior to marrying Mary in 1954, Walter was an automobile enthusiast. This was the result of his father owning the first car - a 1897 Stanley Steamer - in Lafayette.
That love of automobiles carried over to working with his childhood friend, George Souter, the 1927 winner of the Indianapolis 500, on the cars of those days.
"George and I once talked about going into business together," he said. "We could replace Ford transmission bands in the Model-T quicker than anybody."
His relationship with Souter also resulted in Wolever getting a 1927 Stutz automobile, which he and his brother used to tour the United States, Canada and Mexico in the summer of that year.
"There weren't that many roads around in those days, so some of the way we just drove across the open desert," he said.
Walter attended Purdue University and graduated in 1923. During those years, he had the opportunity to serve on a fraternity committee with a, "nice young man from Illinois."
That fraternity brother was none other than Ronald Reagan.
"He was a real nice guy and I sure did like him," Walter said. "I'm not sure if he was the best president we've ever had, but he was an awfully nice person."
The Wolevers moved into Mason Health Care last September, after Walter broke his hip in a fall. Mary died of a stroke in May of this year.
What does Walter see as the most significant achievements during his 99 years?
"The motor car - it made it so much easier for folks in getting around from here to there," he said. "Also, the television was the most important communication invention." [[In-content Ad]]
Walter Wolever has seen and done a lot over his life.
Ninety-nine years offer ample opportunity to experience a wide range of pursuits, and Wolever has made the most of his time.
Born on July 13, 1900, in Lafayette, Wolever taught school, toured the country, became an expert gardener and rubbed elbows with some notable celebrities during his almost-century in Indiana.
He moved to Kosciusko County in 1957 with his wife, Mary (Bushong) Wolever, after they both retired from teaching in the Lafayette school system.
"Mary was from the Lake Wawasee area and she kind of wanted to come back here. That was enough to get me moving," he said.
They purchased three acres in the Bel Rohr park subdivision on Lake Tippecanoe and soon moved into the home that Walter himself built.
The Wolevers became accomplished gardeners in their retirement years, supplying their neighbors with up to 50 different varieties of fruits, vegetables and flowers through a roadside cart and sold on the "honor system," with people leaving money in a jelly glass for whatever they took.
"It was an accommodation to the people around there," Walter said.
Prior to marrying Mary in 1954, Walter was an automobile enthusiast. This was the result of his father owning the first car - a 1897 Stanley Steamer - in Lafayette.
That love of automobiles carried over to working with his childhood friend, George Souter, the 1927 winner of the Indianapolis 500, on the cars of those days.
"George and I once talked about going into business together," he said. "We could replace Ford transmission bands in the Model-T quicker than anybody."
His relationship with Souter also resulted in Wolever getting a 1927 Stutz automobile, which he and his brother used to tour the United States, Canada and Mexico in the summer of that year.
"There weren't that many roads around in those days, so some of the way we just drove across the open desert," he said.
Walter attended Purdue University and graduated in 1923. During those years, he had the opportunity to serve on a fraternity committee with a, "nice young man from Illinois."
That fraternity brother was none other than Ronald Reagan.
"He was a real nice guy and I sure did like him," Walter said. "I'm not sure if he was the best president we've ever had, but he was an awfully nice person."
The Wolevers moved into Mason Health Care last September, after Walter broke his hip in a fall. Mary died of a stroke in May of this year.
What does Walter see as the most significant achievements during his 99 years?
"The motor car - it made it so much easier for folks in getting around from here to there," he said. "Also, the television was the most important communication invention." [[In-content Ad]]