The basis for the Walton family was series creator Earl Hamner Jr.'s real life family members. Hamner grew up with 7 other siblings each of whom served as the basis for each young Walton character. He also based the characters of The Waltons' grandparents on composites of both sides of his Grandfathers and Grandmothers, his mother's mother, his mother's father, his father's mother and his father's father.