Walter Lafayette moved to Seven Rivers, Eddy County, New Mexico with his
parents in 1885.
At the time of Walter's marriage he worked for the S Cross Cattle Company and
continued in that work for some time.
Walter and Pearl later moved to the Holt Farm near Lakewood, where Walter was
employed. They lived in Lakewood until about 1919 when Walter was employed as
mill superintendent at the Globe Plaster Company at Globe, approximately
fifteen miles north of Carlsbad. When the plant closed at Globe, the family
moved to Carlsbad and Walter then entered the field of law enforcement. Walter
served several years as deputy sheriff and four years as sheriff of Eddy
County. Walter was sheriff in August 1931, when his Chief Deputy Joe Johns was
kidnapped by Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker.
Later, Walter served as Justice of the Peace and Municipal Court Judge in
Carlsbad and resigned that position when he and Pearl moved to Santa Fe, New
Mexico in 1945. Walter resided in Santa Fe until the time of his death. Pearl
returned to Carlsbad shortly thereafter and resided until her death.

(Ref: ARTESIA ADVOCATE, Artesia, Eddy County, New Mexico, dated for Thursday, June 23, 1949, front page, reads as follows:

Walter L. McDonald, 67, an Eddy County veteran peace officer and former sheriff, died Wednesday of last week in Santa Fe, where he had lived since 1945.

He was captain of guards at the state penitentiary at the time of his death. He had been ill for some time and had gone to Mayo Clinic at Rochester, Minn., for a check-up three weeks prior to his death.

Funeral services were in Carlsbad Friday and burial was in Carlsbad Cemetery.

Mr. McDonald is survived by his widow, whom he married at Seven Rivers April 27, 1904 and three daughters, Mrs. Howell Gage of Santa Fe, wife of the warden of the state penitentiary; Mrs. Ethel Smith of Santa Fe and Mrs. Charles Buck of Carlsbad; a brother, Archie McDonald of Artesia and a granddaughter.

He was born Nov. 8, 1881, at Kerville, Texas and came to Eddy County in 1885 with his parents, who settled on a ranch on Seven Rivers.

Mr. McDonald served two terms as sheriff of Eddy County from 1931 through 1934. He had a long career in law enforcement and rated very high as a peace officer.

Mr. McDonald was a sheriff's deputy for many years. He served as deputy under Howell Gage for four years; as a deputy for Joe Johns for four years and also was a deputy for John N. Hewett, John's father-in-law, for four years. He also served as a deputy at other times.

He was elected justice of the peace of the Carlsbad precinct and Carlsbad police judge in 1942 and served until February, 1945, when he resigned to move to Santa Fe.