Extract from the 1880 Census:
Name: Baby Pettis
Age: 2/12
Birth date: Apr 1880
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Race: white
Sex: male
Relationship to head-of-household: son
Home in 1880: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Marital status: single
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Occupation: none
Siblings living at home: Mary R (age 16), C W (14), E A (12), E A (10), Clarence (7), Lewis (5), and Alva (3)
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: T9_1425; Family History Film: 1255425; Page: 526.4000; Enumeration District: 139
Date: 21 Jun 1880

Extract from the 1900 Census:
Name: Walter Pettis
Age at last birthday: 20
Date of birth: Apr 1880
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Race: white
Sex: male
Relationship to head-of-house: son
Home in 1900: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Marital status: single
Able to read, write and speak English: yes
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Farm or home: farm
Home owned or rented: owned
Mortgage: no
Occupation: farmer
Months not employed: 0
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: T623 1788; Page: 12B; Enumeration District: 33
Date: 13 Jun 1900

Extract from the 1910 Census:
Name: Walter Pettis
Age in 1910: 30
Estimated birth year: 1880
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Race: white
Sex: male
Relation to head of house: head
Home in 1910: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Marital status: single
Able to speak English: yes
Able to read and write: yes
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Farm or house: farm
Home owned or rented: owned; has mortgage
Occupation: hunter
Salary or wage worker: working on own account
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: T624_1710; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 59; Image: 514
Date: 2 May 1910

Extract from World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918:
Name: Walter Herbert Pettis
City: Eau Claire
County: Eau Claire
State: Wisconsin
Birthplace: United States
Birth date: 15 Apr 1880
Race: white
Roll: 1674599
Draft board: 0
Address: RR No. 3, Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Occupation: farmer
Employer: self-employed
Where employed: RR No. 3, Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Nearest relative: Etta Pettis (wife)
Address: RR No. 3, Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Age: 38
Height: medium
Build: medium
Eyes: light gray
Hair: light
Date: 12 Sep 1918

Extract from the 1920 Census:
Name: Walter H Pettis
Age: 39
Estimated birth year: 1881
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Race: white
Sex: male
Relationship to head of house: head
Home in 1920: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Marital status: married
Able to speak English: yes
Able to read and write: yes
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Home owned or rented: owned; no mortgage
Occupation: patrolman
Type of industry: state road
Salary or wage worker: wages
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: T625_1984; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 136; Image: 474
Date: 19 Jan 1920

Extract from the 1930 Census:
Name: Walter Pettis
Age: 49
Estimated birth year: 1881
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Race: white
Sex: male
Relation to head-of-house: head
Home in 1930: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Marital status: married
Age at first marriage: 25
Education: able to speak English
Education: able to read and write
Father's birthplace: New York
Mother's birthplace: New York
Military service: no
Rent/home value: owns home; value $1500
Owned a radio: no
Occupation: patrolman
Industry: state road
Salary or wage worker: wages
Census place: Fairchild, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: 2572; Page: ; Enumeration District: 21; Image: 147.0
Date: 18 Apr 1930

Extract from the 1940 Census:
Name: Walter H Pettis
Age: 60
Estimated birth year: 1880
Birthplace: Wisconsin
Race: white
Sex: male
Relation to head-of-house: father-in-law
Living with: Ralph and Viola Gregerson, ages 34 and 28
Home in 1940: Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Address: 1147½ East Madison Street
Marital status: widower
Highest grade of school completed: high school 1 year
Living on farm: no
City of residence in 1935: rural, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Occupation: skilled foreman
Industry: WPA
Salary or wage worker: wages
Number of weeks worked in 1939: 39
Amount of money wages or salary: $700
Has other income of more than $50: yes
At work during week of March 24-30: yes
Number of hours worked: not listed
Assigned to emergency work: yes
Duration of unemployment: 30 weeks
Census place: Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin; Roll: T627_4477; Page: 20A; Enumeration District: 18-20
Date: 1 May 1940

Extract from U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942:
Name: Walter Herbert Pettis
Age: 62
Birth date: 15 Apr 1880
Birth place: Fairchild, Wisconsin
Race: white
Address: 1147½ East Madison Street, Eau Claire, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Telephone: none
Name of person who will always know your address: Mrs Ralph Gregorson [sic], 1147½ East Madison Street, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Employer: WPA
Employer's address: Court House Annex, Second Avenue, Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Place of employment:
Height: 5 feet 10 inches
Weight: 185
Eyes: gray
Hair: gray
Complexion: ruddy
Other characteristics: none
Date: 25 Apr 1942

Extract from U.S. City Directories 1821-1989:
Name: Walter H Pettis
Gender: male
Street address: 1147 East Madison
City: Eau Claire, Wisconsin
Occupation: laborer
Spouse: not listed
Residence year: 1946
Publication title: Eau Claire, Wisconsin, City Directory

Obituary from the "Daily Telegram" of Eau Claire, Wisconsin dated 10 Jan 1966:
Walter H. Pettis
Walter H. Pettis, 85, died at the Memorial Hospital in Menomonie, Saturday evening after an illness of three months. He was born in Fairchild, where he resided until 1930 when he moved to Eau Claire. He had also been a resident of the Town of Seymour and for the past two years had resided at Elk Creek Lake. He was well-known throughout this area as a hunter and fisherman. He was a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
He is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Howard T. Faulknor of Eau Claire, and one son, Victor M. of Elk Creek Lake, and several nieces and nephews.
Funeral services will be held at Stokes and Sons Chapel at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Rev. Perry Saito of the Lake St. Methodist Church officiating. Interment will be at Fairchild.
Friends may call at Stokes and Sons Tuesday afternoon and evening and Wednesday until time of service.

He married Zelda Rayment 16 Apr 1902 in Eau Claire County, Wisconsin.
He married (2) Henrietta Ella Smith in 1911.

Children:
(1) Viola M Pettis
(2) Victor Mortimer Pettis.