James met his first wife Mary through her brother Arthur Althoff. Arthur met James walking home from Taneytown. He gave James a lift in the buggy and invited him to Glenburn for dinner. James began courting Mary Althoff after many visits to their home.

Sunday was a big day at the Althoff's. They had a large family of fifteen children - five boys and ten girls. So Sunday was a family day of fun and games.

I understand as it has been told to the children of James that he was a schoolteacher. He was a well-educated man, however, when the Walsh family went into the road business he worked with the family. I believe the business hit hard times. His mother whom he loved and was greatly devoted to died, leaving him very lonely. It was shortly after her death that he began courting and turned his thoughts towards marriage.

He married Mary Althoff, and they moved to Hopewell, Virginia where they lived for eight months. They then moved to York, Pennsylvania where a son Joseph and a daughter Mary were born. The family moved to Baltimore, Maryland and opened a grocery and confectionery store at 1135 N. Monroe Street. James also worked as a carpenter with his brother Arthur.

While in Baltimore, a second son, James Henry Walsh Jr., was born to James and Mary. Mary Althoff died twenty days after the birth of her son. James Jr. died eleven months later. While on her deathbed Mary asked her sister Ethel to promise to raise her children. At that time Ethel was about 29 years old and not thinking of marriage. Ethel was a supervisor for the C&P Telephone Company and considered herself a career woman, which was unusual for the times. Ethel was a very serious and religious woman who always kept her commitments. As promised to her sister Mary, Ethel waited a respectable thirteen months and married James.

James and Ethel then began having a family of their own. Their first child, Catherine, was born prematurely after Ethel learned from George Walsh, James' brother, that his sister Agnes (Ness) had died during childbirth. George Walsh had been living with his brother and his wife when he learned this dreadful news. James always spoke fondly of his sister Agnes and admired her beautiful singing voice. Sometime after their second child Charles was born, they bought a residential property on Harlem Avenue. George went back to the country to live. James rented the Monroe Street property and went into construction work full time. James and Ethel had their third child Regina while living in this newly purchased home.

The economy was bad, so James had to work out of town to support his family. He was in Chicago for a time and came home every couple of months. From there he worked on the Conowingo Dam for a couple of years, coming home once a month.

Then in the early thirties prohibition ended. James acquired a liquor license and opened a tavern and restaurant on the property at 1135 North Monroe Street. The family moved to Monroe Street and the home on Harlem Avenue was rented.

James returned to carpentry while Ethel managed the tavern and restaurant business. James was a respected man in his community and in his church. There were many people in those days that couldn't read or write. So James spent many evenings reading personal correspondence and deciphering contracts for fellow community members. The priests of our church would always send for him when things needed repair.

Politics were of real interest to James, and Ethel joined him in his enthusiasm. To muster support for their candidate, James and Ethel would close the business and sponsor a political rally. Although involved in many activities; a business, the community , his carpentry trade, and the care of his immediate family, he spoke always of his great love for his mother and father and sisters and brothers. In fact, his brother Charles would always stop at the business place on the way to buy feed for the farm animals. And likewise, James would accompany Charles on many hunting excursions. He was so happy after a day of hunting on Charles' farm.

As children, we would spend part of our summer vacation on Uncle Charles' farm with some of his older children for playmates. James was also close to his brothers Michael and Nicholas, and he and his family made several visits a year to their homes. Lizzy, James' sister Elizabeth, would visit at least once a month. James looked forward to his sister's frequent visits and so did Ethel. Lizzy would bring nuts for winter baking.

[Memories of James Henry Walsh by his daughter, Regina Walsh Lample, compiled by P.W. Walsh (Pol Breatnach) in the 1989 Walsh Booklet]