Walter Shows

This tribute was presented at the John Shows Family Reunion in 1985 and copied from Pete Baucum's book "Cornelius Holmes Shows of Jones County, Mississippi"
 
Walter L. Shows was a gentle man with love and appreciation for who he was and pride in his name.

Walter Shows was born in Jonesboro, LA, the son of Marshall H. Shows and Martha Elizabeth Britain Shows. He finished high school in Jonesboro and furthered his education at Baylor University, Waco, Texas where he graduated with Juris Doctor degree and was admitted to the bar in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi. He was employed in the legal department of Sun Oil Company for many years. He lived and worked in Mississippi for more than 42 years.

The name Shows differs from most family names in that it is spelled one way and is pronounced, by most of the descendants, another way, that is, with the old German pronunciation., The origin of the name Shows of Schauss is unknown, but the name "Shows" has been and still is interesting. Many variances are found in this country: Showers, Shows, Show, Schaw, Sowes, Shaus, Shous, Shause, Shouse, Schauss.
With all the Shows that Walter encountered in Mississippi, genealogy became his hobby. He spent endless hours researching the truth of the folklore that three German brothers had come to this land and fought in the Revolutionary War, acquired land, and settled in Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. In seeking the truth he traveled hundreds of miles, wrote countless letters, spent enumerable hours in searching in old churches, court houses, and archives, visiting old timers, and attending Shows family reunions.

It was America's Bicentennial year -July 4, 1976- an appropriate time for the John Shows Family Association to hold it "official" organizational meeting. The purpose was to perpetuate the memory of the Revolutionary War soldier, John Shows, from whom we are descended, and to observe the two hundred years of the Shows family in North America.

The necessary proof had been established that John Shows as a Revolutionary War soldier, and has been accepted by the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution.

Through Walter's guidance markers were placed in Jones County to commemorate John Shows' service in the American Revolutionary War.

The objectives of the John Shows Association are:
To perpetuate the memory John Shows, who helped achieve American Independence while serving as a member of a Detachment of Virginians

To perpetuate the Shows name however the spelling

To note achievements of the Shows Family in America

To compile and maintain acceptable records of descendants and ancestors of said family to pass on to future generations

To encourage genealogical, historical and biographical research of the Shows family
To unify same.

The John Shows Family Association may well be considered a memorial to revolutionary War Patriot John Shows.

To this purpose, a book which contains information on the family has been complied and published so that future generations have proof of their ancestors and pride in their family.

To this dear member of our family, Walter Shows, who died May 31, 1984, we are deeply appreciative and eternally grateful for the "History of John Shows Family."