hardy e. salter
1911-1954
Life Story
A Life of Labor, Resilience, and Family Connection Between Altare and Indiana
Hardy E. Salter was born in 1911 in Newton County, Mississippi, to Thomas (Tom) Walker, Sr. (1871–1929) and Sarah Lora Salter (1882–1963). His birth linked two deeply rooted Altare family lines—the Walkers and the Salters—both descended from formerly enslaved families who built independent lives through farming, faith, and perseverance in Newton County.
Growing up in the early 20th century, Hardy was raised in a single-parent household. His mother, Sarah, managed the family’s small farm and reared several children after separating from Tom Walker. Hardy’s upbringing in the Altare community instilled in him a powerful work ethic and the determination to seek opportunity beyond Mississippi’s rural boundaries.
Family and Early Life
In 1929, Hardy married Mary Eliza Walker (1913–1999), also of the Altare community. Together, they welcomed two children:
- Leonard Salter (1929–1997)
- Ida Ruth Salter (1931–2015)
By 1934, Hardy and Mary Eliza had divorced, and both went on to establish new paths for themselves and their children. Hardy eventually remarried Ada Henrietta Simpson (1908–1988) on November 10, 1934, in Clay County, Indiana. They made their home in Brazil, Indiana, where Hardy began a new chapter of labor and community life in the industrial Midwest—a migration that mirrored many Southern Black families’ journeys during the Great Migration.
From his second marriage, one daughter was born:
- Geneva Salters (1939–?)
Hardy and Ada settled into a working-class life centered on family and perseverance. His transition from the farms of Newton County to factory work in Indiana reflected the broader movement of African Americans seeking better wages and greater autonomy in northern states during the 1930s and 1940s.
Passing and Legacy
On December 8, 1954, at the age of 43, Hardy Salter passed away in Terre Haute, Indiana, after an extended illness. His obituary records that he resided at 1123 South Thirteenth and One-half Street, and that funeral services were held at Lost Creek Baptist Church, with the Rev. Morris Blade officiating. Burial followed in the Lost Creek Cemetery.
He was survived by his wife Ada, daughter Genevieve, mother Sarah Salter of Lawrence, Mississippi, brothers Willis, J.P., and John Salter, and sisters Hattie Velete of Harvey, Illinois, Ozell McGown of Lawrence, Mississippi, and Anne Salters of Newton.
Hardy’s journey—from the fields of Altare to the factories of Indiana—symbolizes the migration, adaptation, and resilience that defined his generation.
Sidebar: The Walker–Salter Legacy Beyond Altare
The life of Hardy E. Salter connects two prominent Altare family lines whose roots trace back to the earliest days of the community. His father, Tom Walker, Sr., was a respected farmer recognized publicly at the 1910 Newton “Merchants Trade Day,” while his mother, Sarah Lora Salter, anchored one of the community’s enduring matriarchal households.
By the mid-20th century, Hardy and his siblings became part of a new chapter in this legacy—one that extended Altare’s story into the industrial Midwest. Their migration from Newton County to Indiana and Illinois paralleled the movement of countless African American families seeking opportunity beyond the Jim Crow South.
Though Hardy’s life ended far from home, his legacy—and that of the Walker–Salter family—remains rooted in the red soil of Altare, where faith, family, and perseverance first took hold.
Resting Place
Lost Creek Cemetery, Indiana, USA
Photos/Albums
Sources
- 1920 Federal Census Record
- 1940 Federal Census Record
- 1950 Federal Census Record
- U.S., Social Security Applications and Claims Index, 1936-2007
- U.S., World War II Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
- Indiana, U.S., Death Certificates, 1899-2011
- Indiana, U.S., Marriage Certificates, 1960-2005
- Indiana, U.S., Marriages, 1810-2001
- Minnesota, U.S., Death Index, 1908-2017
- U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995
- U.S. WWII Draft Cards Young Men, 1940-1947
- U.S., Newspapers.com™ Obituary Index, 1800s-current
- The Terre Haute Tribune, Hardy Salters Obituary, Fri, Dec 17, 1954 ·Page 8
- U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014
- Web: Wabash Valley, Indiana, U.S., Obituary Index, 1900-2013
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