Walter A. Machin, 97, of Newton died on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, at Skiff Medical Center under the care of Skiff Hospice.

A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013, at the Wallace Family Funeral Home.  The family will greet friends from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Memorials to Skiff Hospice may be left at the funeral home.

Walter, the son of Carl “Pete” and Lydia (Short) Machin, was born on April 17, 1915, in rural Monroe, Iowa.  He was united in marriage with Beula Smith on July 2, 1944, in Newton. They lived in Marshall County from 1946 to 1960, when they moved back to Jasper County. Walter was a farmer and also worked in the factory at the Maytag Company and at Midwest Manufacturing, retiring in 1982. He enjoyed gardening, calling square dances and building things out of wood, including birdhouses, step stools and benches.