Résumé

Gracery clerk, Ada County, ID, 1940. Walter was 16 years old when he held this job.

Employee, Butler Construction Company, Nampa Canyon, ID, c. 08/1942.

Military service, US Navy, enlisted on 12/07/1942. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Idaho, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 36, accessed 04/26/2023.)

Draftsman, G.A. Pehrson and Associates, Architects, Spokane, WA, c. 1952.

Draftsman, Stuart Blackwell and Associates, Architects, Spokane, WA, 1955. (See Spokane, Washington, City Directory, 1955, p. 282.)

Draftsman, Walker, McGough and Trogdon, Architects, Spokane, WA, 1956-1960.

Draftsman, Walker and McGough and Associates, Architects, Spokane, WA, 1960-1966.

Partner, Walker McGough Foltz and Nixon, Architects, Spokane, WA, 1966-1969.

Partner, Walker, McGough, Foltz, Architects, and and Lyerla-Peden, Engineers, Spokane, WA, 1969-1971.

Partner, Walker McGough Foltz and Lyerla (WMFL), Architects and Engineers, Spokane, WA, 1971-1985.

High School / College

Walter Foltz likely attended high school in Ada County, ID, possibly Boise High School.

B.Arch., University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, c. 1948-1950. It is likely that Foltz's time at the University of Idaho was interrupted by World War II service. He may have first had classes there in 1941-1942.

Relocation

Born in Ririe, ID, Walter W. Foltz lived in that state during his childhood. Ririe was a small town in Jefferson County, in east-central ID. According to the 1930 US Census, the Foltz Family lived on 1st Street East in Ririe in a dwelling it owned worth approximately $2,000. Walter shared this house with his parents Clarence and Mae, his three siblings and his maternal grandmother Mary Wickberg (born c. 1864 in Sweden). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1930; Census Place: Ririe, Jefferson, Idaho; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0019; FHL microfilm: 2340135, accessed 04/26/2023.) They likely remained in Ririe until at least the mid-1930s, before relocating to Ada County, ID.

The 1940 US Census reported that Walter lived with his family in a rented house in the "Soldier's Home Precinct" on Highway 44 in Ada County, ID. The census indicated that Clarence Foltz worked as a farmer at this time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Soldiers Home, Ada, Idaho; Roll: m-t0627-00736; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 1-46, accessed 04/26/2023.) On 08/18/1942, Foltz resided with his family on Route 1, Nampa Canyon, ID. He worked for Butler Construction at that time. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Idaho, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 36, accessed 04/26/2023.)

In 1948, Walter lived with his family at 2606 Lemp Street in Boise, ID. (See Boise, Idaho, City Directory, 1948, p. 161.) Four members of the family, although not Walter, continued to live at this same address in 1953. (See Boise, Idaho, City Directory, 1953, p. 203.)

Walter attended the University of Idaho in Moscow, ID. Foltz lived in Moscow in 1950 as a 26-year-old student. He resided in a rooming house at 611 East 1st Street with six other male students on 05/15/1950, as per the US Census of that year. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Moscow, Latah, Idaho; Roll: 24; Sheet Number: 81; Enumeration District: 29-26, accessed 04/26/2023.)

He moved to Spokane, WA, by at least 1952, at which time he worked for the architectural firm of G.A. Pehrson and Associates. He lived at South 740 Washington Street in Spokane in 1952. (See Spokane City Directory, 1952, p. 341.)

In 1955, Foltz resided in Apartment A at South 744 Washington Street in Spokane's Cliff/Cannon neighborhood. (See Spokane, Washington, City Directory, 1955, p. 282.) He and his wife had moved to South 738 Washington Street in the same neighborhood by 1956. (See Spokane, Washington, City Directory, 1956, p. 270.)

In 1992, the Foltzes lived at 2216 East 35th Avenue in Spokane. (See Ancestry.com Source Information Ancestry.com. U.S., Public Records Index, 1950-1993, Volume 1 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accesed 04/25/2023.)

He remained in Spokane for another 43 years until his death in 1995. He was buried in Holy Cross Cemetery, Spokane.

Parents

His mother's maiden name was Wickberg. No listing of Walter's middle name can be found, but it may have been "Wickberg" or another name starting with W to honor her family's surname. His mother Mae Cecelia Wickberg (born 11/14/1899 in ID-d. 02/15/1986 in Boise, ID) wed Clarence Leon Foltz (born 09/11/1887 in Newhampton, MO-d. 01/29/1948 in Boise, ID) on 02/18/1921 in Rigby, ID. Clarence, a World War I veteran, was twelve years older than his wife. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Upper Snake River Family History Center and Ricks College; Rexburg, Idaho; Idaho Marriages, 1842-1996, accessed 04/26/2023.)

Mae had had four children by 1930. She assisted her husband Clarence in the operation of a dry goods-grocery store in Ririe, ID. Clarence had switched ot farming by 1940, or so. By 1948, the year of his death from a heart attack, Clarence worked as a clerk at the nearby Veteran's Home. (See Boise, Idaho, City Directory, 1948, p. 161 and Ancestry.com, Source Citation Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Boise, Idaho; Death Index and Images, 1911-1969 Source Information Idaho, U.S., Death Records, 1890-1971 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2014, accessed 04/26/2023.)

As per the 1940 US Census, Clarence had completed one year of high school, Mae the 8th grade. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Soldiers Home, Ada, Idaho; Roll: m-t0627-00736; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 1-46, accessed 04/26/2023.) In 1948, James worked as a truck driver and Joyce as clerk in the State Division of Vital Statistics. (See Boise, Idaho, City Directory, 1948, p. 161.)

Walter had the following brothers and sisters: James Bernard Foltz (born 08/18/1921 in Ririe, ID-d. 01/09/2004 in Redding, CA) Joyce Bernice Foltz (born 08/18/1921 in ID-d. 01/16/2006 in Boise, ID), Robert W. Foltz (born c. 1928 in ID) and Alan Reed Foltz (born c. 1932 in ID). The 1940 US Census recorded that James and Joyce, fraternal twins, had both completed high school. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: Soldiers Home, Ada, Idaho; Roll: m-t0627-00736; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 1-46, accessed 04/26/2023.) Alan R. Fultz attended Boise High School in 1948. (See Boise High School Courier Yearbook, 1948, p. 86.)

Spouse

He married Barbara Marie MacDonald (born 11/21/1932 in MacLeod, AB, Canada), a union that lasted for 41 years from 1954 until his death in 1995. Barbara MacDonald first entered the US at Eastport, ID, on 02/12/1953 alone. She intended to resettle in the US, and was en route to visiting a friend, Joan Hooper who lived at 430 Jackson Street, Pueblo, CO. She last lived in Canada with her family at 1509 4th Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Washington, D.C.; Washington, D.C.; Manifests of Alien Arrivals at Eastport, Idaho, 1924-1956; Record Group Title: Records of the Immigration and Naturalization Service, 1787 - 2004; Record Group Number: 85; Series Number: A3460; Roll Number: 020, 04/25/2023.)

In 1956, Barbara worked as a laboratory technician in the offices of Emory D. Baker and Emory F. Baker, Spokane physicians. (See Spokane, Washington, City Directory, 1956, p. 270.)

Children

He and Barbara had three children: Stephen Foltz, David Foltz, and Carolyn Foltz Fischer. At his death, his son Stephen resided in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, son David in Fayetteville, NC, and daughter Carolyn in Spokane.

Biographical Notes

According to his World War II draft registration card, Foltz was Caucasian with a light complexion, gray eyes and brown hair. He stood 5-feet, 10-inches tall. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Idaho, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 36, accessed 04/26/2023.)

According to Washington State records, Foltz bought, sold, assigned, leased and mortgaged land in Spokane County at least 25 times between 1973 and, after his death, in 1996.

SSN: 519-16-1734.

• Ririe, ID (Architect's Birth)
  Ririe, ID

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• Spokane, WA (Architect's Death)
  Spokane, WA

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