Walter H. Ordway, Jr. was born on February 17, 1947, to Walter and Mary (McGinnis) Ordway. He attended school in Soldier and East Monona through his junior year when he went to Augustana Academy where he graduated from high school. While in high school, Walter was very active in sports, the boys’ quartet and the school's play. He then attended Luther College in Decorah, IA and received his B.A. majoring in Art and History. During his time at Luther college, Walter began his adventurous world of traveling. His first international experience occurred when he traveled to Central America to dig for pre-Colombian pottery with other Luther College students. Following his graduation from Luther in 1969, he again traveled south, this time to Ecuador as a member of the Peace Corp. After leaving the Peace Corp in 1971, Walter canoed down the Napo river on the start of what developed into a 9-month exploration through Central and South America. During that trip, an encounter with the Amazon Indians turned out to be a turning point in Walter’s life. It was the first time that the philosophies, religions, and lifestyles of other cultures, which offered the possibilities for alternate ways of life, became a reality rather than an abstract concept.
That realization prompted him to return to America and explore his own country. He travelled throughout the U.S. in a van before returning to South America in 1973. In 1980, he sailed across the Atlantic with 5 others on a 7-month voyage. For the next six years, he rode his bike from Ireland to New Zealand. He biked across the Himalayas to Nepal and spent 2 1/2 years exploring Asia. He returned to the United States in November 1986.
After returning to the U.S., Walter made his home near Soldier, IA. After the death of his parents, he took over the family farm and re-established a connection to the land converting it to an organic farm.
Walter was a member of Soldier Lutheran Church and had been involved with the department of reality tourism, with projects in both Iowa and Wisconsin.
Walter and his beloved dog, Louis II, died on November 17, 2014 from an accidental drowning at Oldham Recreation Area near Soldier.
Walter was preceded in death by his parents. He is survived by several cousins and their families and many friends.