A postscript on Walter Nopper

Walter J Nopper, our Scoutmaster / Guthrie Scout Band director mentioned in my previous post,  emigrated from Germany or Switzerland and arrived in New York on June 25, 1914.

Archduke Ferdinand is assassinated in Sarajevo on a Sunday – 3 days later.  The Guthrie Daily Leader shows the first report in the June 29, 1914 Monday edition.

Niblack, Leslie G. The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 47, No. 145, Ed. 1 Monday, June 29, 1914, newspaper, June 29, 1914; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc616902/m1/1/: accessed May 23, 2018), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

Within weeks the nations of Europe mobilize and World War 1 begins.  The first reference to what we now call World War 1 is the sub-headline in the Guthrie Daily Leader calling the sudden mobilization the “World’s Greatest War.”

Niblack, Leslie G. The Guthrie Daily Leader (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 48, No. 20, Ed. 1 Monday, August 3, 1914, newspaper, August 3, 1914; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc618201/: accessed May 23, 2018), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

Imagine a new immigrant arriving to pursue his dream in America only days before war in Europe sparks from the assassination.  At first one would be concerned for relatives and at the same time relieved he would be safe.

Violin

Walter likely had an interest in the violin.  This passage from the Oklahoma State Register 23 December 1920 mentions Kreisler.  This is most likely Fritz Kreisler who was considered a master violinist at that time. A YouTube video at the bottom has some recordings of Kreisler.

Golobie, John. Oklahoma State Register (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 39, No. 47, Ed. 1 Thursday, December 23, 1920, newspaper, December 23, 1920; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc88605/m1/8/?q=nopper: accessed May 23, 2018), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

An advertisement appears on 04 November 1921 of the Guthrie Daily Leader for a fellow instructor.

Niblack, Leslie G. The Guthrie Daily Leader. (Guthrie, Okla.), Vol. 54, No. 44, Ed. 1 Friday, November 4, 1921, newspaper, November 4, 1921; Guthrie, Oklahoma. (gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc713234/m1/5/?q=kachelski: accessed May 23, 2018), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.

Naturalization and Military Service

Walter died August 15, 1941 at age 48 and is buried in New York.  Robert Baden Powell, the founder of the scout movement had passed the same year on  January 8.

The application for a military headstone again confirms Walter’s service in the US Army.  He dies after war again erupts in Europe and before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941.

Not Included

I posted this information separately because one can not define a life’s biography based on so little information.  We are more than a headstone, a photograph, or some scanned document to keep track of potential spies.

Walter’s actions of pursuing his dream of music and working it into service to scouting I think tell more of this man.