Webjames hamner, the youngest brother died on april 1, 2004. He continued to live in the hamner homeplace in schuyler, virginia until shortly before his death. Webwhile waite gave hamner the gift of seeing his father in the character of john walton, sr. , hamner, in turn, gave his father and a loving family to people worldwide with “the. Webthe waltons first aired in 1972 and became a hit. The series based on the life of the hamner family of schuyler, virginia, was written by brother and author earl hamner.
