Montgomery County PA Archives Biographies.....DePrefontaine, Walter February 23, 1874 - 
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Source: Biographical Annals of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, T. S. Benham & Company and the Lewis Publishing Company, 1904
Author: Ellwood Roberts, Editor

  WALTER DePREFONTAINE, organist at the First Presbyterian 
Church, Norristown, is a native of Whitpain township, where 
the DePrefontaines, originally of French extraction, have 
long been domiciled. He was born at Blue Bell, February 23, 
1874, being the son of Charles Paradee DePrefontaine and 
Emma Elizabeth (Shields) DePrefontaine. Walter DePrefontaine 
attended the Central public school at Blue Bell, also 
assisting his father in the store, and graduated from the 
township high school at sixteen years of age. He then for 
one year attended Sunnyside Academy, the well-known school 
kept for many years by the Misses Knight, at Ambler.  At the 
same time betook up the study of instrumental music under 
private tuition, and ultimately entered the musical 
profession.

  Mr. DePrefontaine married, September 26, 1895, Rachael 
Mitchell, daughter of Charles and Mary Shaw (Conard) 
Shoemaker, of Blue Bell. They have one son, Charles LeRoy, 
born October 25, 1896.

  Mr. DePrefontaine was for nine years organist at St. 
Thomas' Episcopal church, at Whitemarsh. He also did much 
teaching of instrumental music in Whitpain and adjoining 
townships until December, 1902, when he removed to 
Norristown, where he continues his profession of musical 
director, making a specialty of the organ, and occupies the 
position of organist at the First Presbyterian church, 
corner of DeKalb and Airy streets, one of the largest and 
most important of that denomination in the county of 
Montgomery.

  Mr. DePrefontaine, apart from his devotion to his 
profession, takes an active interest in public affairs. He 
is a Republican in politics. In religious faith he is a 
Methodist, as have been the DePrefontaines for many 
generations.

  Charles P. DePrefontaine (father) has for many years 
conducted the general store and post office at Blue Bell. He 
is the oldest child of John and Mary (Megargee) 
DePrefontaine. Their son Charles (father), born January 7, 
1841, at Milestown, married, February 22, 1866, Emma 
Elizabeth Shields, born May 3, 1842, and their children are: 
Mary, born January 20, 1868, married Nathan James, son of 
William and Elizabeth Megargee, of Milestown, they living in 
Denver, Colorado, and having two children, Glenn Earle and 
Nathan Leslie. Kate, born August 19, 1870, married March 27, 
1894, Albert A. Tyson, of Horsham, their children being; 
Emma D., born August 17, 1895, Horald, born October, 1898, 
and Albert R., born 1900. Anna Rebecca, born August 21, 
1872, died in April, 1895, Walter is the next of the family. 
Clara, born November 14, 1875, married July 30, 1895, 
Albert, son of John Fry, and has four children, Alice, born 
January 1(9, 1897; Florence May, born July 19, 1899; Rachel, 
born in May, 1901; and Albert. Emma, born April 18, 1877, 
married, March 24, 1897, Oliver Edward, son of Edward Judson 
and Mary Jane (Child) Stannard, of Whitpain, their children 
being, Clara Elizabeth (1898); Ethelyn Minerva (1898, died 
1899); Mary Jane Child (1901). Alice born March 16, 1880, is 
unmarried; Charles born August 8, 1882, married Clara Ward 
Shook, March 23, 1904.

  John DePrefontaine (grandfather) and Mary Megargee, his 
wife, had the following children Charles Pardee (father); 
Walter, born in 1845, died unmarried in 1866; Anna, born in 
1848, married Francis Houpt, of Dreshertown; Joseph, born 
June 6, 1850, died January 28, 1854; Albert, born in 1852, 
married Emily Irvin and lived in Philadelphia; William, born 
April 12, 1853, married Ida Tyson, of Horsham, and lived at 
Jarrettown.

  Rachel Mitchell, daughter of Charles and Mary Shaw 
(Conard) Shoemaker, was born at Barren Hill. Her parents 
soon afterward removed to Blue Bell, where she attended the 
public schools and later the Abington Friends school, and, 
after taking a course at Pierce's Business School, 
Philadelphia, was employed at office work for several years. 
Charles and Mary Shoemaker had the following children: 
Joseph Conard, born July 10, 1865, married February 17, 
1886, Tacy Conard, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth (Conard) 
Walton, their children being: Elizabeth Walton, born 
September 15, 1887; Sarah Pearl, born in 1895; Violet, born 
1897; and Joseph Conard, born November, 1899; Enoch 
(deceased); Ella, born July 9, 1868, married, March 7, 1895, 
John Bothwell, son of David and Mary (Bothwell) Park, of 
Horsham township, their children being, Benjamin Pennypacker 
Wertsner, born December 19, 1895, and John Bothwell, born in 
July, 1899; Rebecca Jane, born January 23, 1871, unmarried 
and lives in Judson Place, Philadelphia; Rachael Mitchell, 
born September 10, 1873, married, September 26, 1895, Walter 
DePrefontaine; Annie C., born August 26, 1876, unmarried, 
resides at Judson Place, Philadelphia; Mary Klauder, born 
March 29, 1879, and Charles, born September 30, 1881, are 
unmarried; Frank, born August 31, 1884, is living in 
Philadelphia.

  Benjamin DePrefontaine, father of John DePrefontaine, was 
born in 1790 and died October 5, 1828. He married Phoebe 
Walters.

  Charles Shoemaker, father of Rachael M. Shoemaker, was 
born July 8, 1836, and died January 6, 1898. He married 
December 24, 1863, Mary Shaw Conard, born December 9, 1840.

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