Since by 1860 six of John and Jane's children were likely dead and the other three, William, Sarah, and Chesley, were either living too far away to help or had too many children of their own, John and Jane were likely the only ones left to care for Walter and Elizabeth. 

Or perhaps Jane is in such poor health that she needs more assistance than John alone and/or the Grices can now provide, so Walter and Elizabeth have gone to live with their grandparents and help.
 

This morning while at breakfast at Dr. U's., I was called to visit Mr. Parish who is reported to be dying with Erisyilas.  I found him very low.  His sense of sinfulness seems not to be very deep.  I tried to point him to Christ but even here in this chamber of distress, my heart was troubled with another matter.  I and Bro. Guinn both prayed with him.  In the evening I visited him again with Sister Ulmer. He is sinking. I prayed with him and Baptized his infant son George Lawrence. 

Yet this U.S. Federal Census of Dallas County, Alabama clearly states that some two months later, on 5 November 1850, Caleb L. Parish, his wife Mary, and their son George L., are all living with Catharine Hoot! 

In attempting to explain this discrepancy, I notice that Caleb's widow, Mary, was born in Germany. Since their only child is very young, likely they have married relatively late and she, perhaps only recently having arrived in country, speaks broken English which is misunderstood by the census taker. Nevertheless, it seems that the Hoots should have been able to clarify that Caleb is deceased.