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Historical records matching Amy Letitia Welker Merrill
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About Amy Letitia Welker Merrill
Amy was a shy person who loved poetry and history. She made wedding dresses and was a homemaker in the truest sense of the word. Her husband, Morgan, was a tall man at 6'4", and loved horses, racing, dry humor and owned a saloon, or so I was told by a Welker cousin. It seems unusual that he would own a saloon, since Amy's relatives were mostly all Mormons, who did not believe in smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages or coffee or tea for that matter. There is a photo of Amy and Henry Morgan Merrill on their wedding day under the Media Tab.
Amy's mother, Eliza Madsen Welker, and Eliza's brother, Christian, and their entire family converted to the LDS religion when they were still living in Denmark in the early 1850's. Amy's father's family, the Welker's, were also early converts to the Mormon religion, having migrated from Germany to Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Utah, Idaho, and finally Arizona. Her great grandfather, James Robert Welker (born in 1803) and great grandmother, Elizabeth Stoker Welker, were the first members of her family to join the church.
John Welker, who was the uncle of Amy's father, Alfred Welker, was a witness to the murder of Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon church, on June 27, 1844, in Carthage, Illinois, and Alfred's father, James Wilburn Welker, was also living in that area at the time Joseph Smith was killed. James Robert Welker died in Hancock County, Illinois, also in 1844, and his widow, Elizabeth, ended up going to Utah with her sons and their families. She lived with her youngest son, Adam David Welker, (the youngest brother of James Wilburn Welker, John Welker, and Jacob Welker) until her death in 1868 in Bloomington, Idaho.
After Joseph Smith's murder, the Welker family spent some time in Iowa preparing for their migration west to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. Most of the Welker's traveled in the Isaac Stewart Company of Mormon Pioneers in 1852, having left Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa, which was where the Mormons were converging before their trek west. Roxana Louisa Welker, John Welker's daughter, was born there in 1851, the year before the Welker's left for Utah. Roxana ultimately met and married Eliza Madsen Welker's brother, Christian Madsen, after the Welker and Madsen families were sent to live in Bloomington, Bear Lake County, Idaho, by the LDS church in 1863. They were married in 1867 and their first daughter, Dortha Roxana Madsen, was born in Bloomington in March of 1869. Dortha's cousin, Amy, was born six years later in 1875.
After nearly 20 years living in Idaho, the two families moved to Safford, Arizona. At the time of their trek from Idaho to Arizona, Amy would have been just about 8 years old. Her cousin, Dortha, my great grandmother, was 14 at the time. There is a story of the family making that trip from Idaho to Arizona on Dortha Roxana Madsen Rollins McKinney's profile page here on Geni. It was taken from a diary Dortha started keeping in 1940 at the age of 71 years old. Since Dortha was Amy's cousin and she was probably her friend as well, and I'm sure they spent some great times together. My great grandmother passed away in 1853, and her cousin, Amy, ten years later in 1863, but sadly, I never got to meet either Amy or Dortha.
The first time I went to visit my cousins in Arizona was in April of 1957 when we traveled there from Los Angeles for my maternal grandmother's funeral. Dorthea Evelyn Rollins Eubank was the first born daughter of Dortha, and while we were in Safford, Arizona, for Evelyn's funeral, I did get to meet some of Dortha's sisters, including my great aunt Bertie and Sylvia, and Dortha's daughter, Gladys Violet, but I don't remember ever meeting Amy then. Although in 1957 she would have been 82 years old, so at the age of 5 years old, I would not have had a lot in common with Amy at that age.
Amy was born in Bloomington, Bear Lake, Idaho, April 25, 1875. Her family moved to Arizona in 1883. Amy married Henry Morgan Merrill July 26, 1894, in Safford, Arizona. Their son Archie was born June 16, 1895. Sadly, he only lived to be two years old. He died August 11, 1897. Three days later, their second son, Morgan Clare Merrill, was born August 14, 1897. Two years later, their daughter, Amy Lucille was born August 21, 1899. Another daughter, Zelma Eliza, was born July 5, 1902, in San Jose, Arizona. Another son, Arthur Bruce, was born November 6, 1904.
In the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for San Jose, Graham County, Arizona, they were listed in the census as follows: Henry M. Merrill, 33, Amy, 25, Morgan C., 2, Lucile, 9 months old. Henry was working as a farmer and they owned their own farm but had a mortgage. Living next door was Henry's father, Philemon C. Merrill, 79, and his step mother, Cyrena Dustin Merrill, 83, and their grandson, Orson, 16. Living next door to them was Seth Merrill, Henry's brother, 40, and his wife, Alice, 34, and their children, Seth A., 18, Eliza, 13, Jennie C., 9, Edna, 6, Alice B., 1 year old, along with their nephew, Edgar, 12.
By the 1910 census, they were living in York, Graham County, Arizona, and were listed as Henry, 43, Amy, 35, Morgan, 12, Amy Lucille, 10, Zelma, 7, and Ruth, 5 years old. They had been married for 16 years. Henry was still working as a farmer, and they owned their own farm but had a mortgage.
In the 1920 census, they were living in Solomon, Graham, Arizona, and were listed as: H.M., 52, Amy, 44, Zelma, 17, and Arthur, 15, and Henry was still farming. In the 1930 census, Henry, 63, and Amy, 54, were living alone at 86 River Road in Solomonville, Graham, Arizona. They owned their own farm, which was valued at $5,000. and had a radio in their home. Henry and Amy had been married for 36 years. Henry was still farming. Six years later, Henry passed away, and by 1940, Amy, 65, was living with her daughter, Zelma Willoughby, 37, at 1122 Central Avenue, Safford, Arizona, in a home they owned valued at $2,500. Zelma was listed as single, so she must have been divorced from her husband at the time.
Amy had an 8th grade education and Zelma had 4 years of high school. Previously in 1935 they had been living in Tucson, Pima, Arizona. Zelma was working as a stenographer for the soil conservation service, and for the 52 weeks she worked in 1939 at 44 hours per week in that profession her income was $1,500. Their next door neighbor, William M. Thompson,32, was working as the chief of range management for the soil conservation service, and for the 52 weeks he worked at 48 hours per week that year his income was $2,200. Mr. Thompson was married, and his wife's name was Margaret, and she was 31 years old. They had a daughter, Mary McIllwain Thompson, who was 5 years old. They had also been living in Tucson in 1935.
Amy passed away November 12, 1963, and was buried in the Safford City Cemetery. Her daughter, Amy Lucille Merrill Waldrom, passed away April 11, 1979, and was also buried in the same cemetery. Amy Lucille Merrill Waldrom had a daughter, Charlotte Lucille Waldrom Welker, born September 4, 1898, in Clifton, Greenlee, Arizona. She married her cousin, Norman James Welker, born in 1916, who passed away in 2007. They were both buried in the Safford City Cemetery as well. Their daughter, Susan Welker, born October 7, 1942, in Safford, Arizona, passed away January 15, 2014, in Highland, Utah. She was the oldest of their five children. Following is an obituary for her from Find A Grave.com:
Susan Welker, October 7, 1942 - January 15, 2014: Susan Welker left us on Wednesday, January 15, 2014, knowing that she was loved very much by her family and friends. She fought her cancer courageously to the very end, never giving up hope and never losing faith. Born on October 7, 1942, in Safford, Arizona, she was the oldest child of five born to Norman and Charlotte Welker. She lived the majority of her life in the Gila Valley, graduating from Safford High School. She left only to pursue her education where she received her degree in Dental Hygiene from Baylor University.
She spent her life raising seven children and working forty-four years as a hygienist for Dr.'s Kay and Eric Curtis, Dr. Kirk Lundell, and Dr. Dall Weech, all while serving in many capacities as a faithful member of the LDS church. She loved her family and friends and will be greatly missed.
Susan is survived by her seven children; Kent (Kimberly) Whitmer of Queen Creek, Arizona, Bret (Lisa) Whitmer of Thatcher, Arizona, Kristi (Lars) Anderson of Highland, Utah Melynda (Neil) Smith of Fishers, Indiana, Jenifer (Garrett) Jackson of Zeeland, Michigan, Sara (John) Garrett of Young, Arizona, and Dane (Rachael) Whitmer of Walnut Creek, California; sister, Gayle (Gary) Rayda of Scottsdale; and brothers, Robert (Maxine) Welker of St. George, Utah, and Phillip Welker of Gilbert, Arizona. She was preceded in death by her parents, Norman and Charlotte Welker, and brother Greg Welker.
A viewing will be conducted Friday, January 24, 2013 from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at the Thatcher LDS Stake Center and again one hour prior to services on Saturday beginning at 9:00 a.m.. Funeral Services will begin at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 25, 2014 at the Thatcher LDS Stake Center. Interment to follow at the Safford Cemetery. McDougal's Caldwell Funeral Chapel, Safford, Arizona.
Parents:
Norman James Welker (1916 - 2007)
Charlotte Lucille Waldrom Welker (1918 - 1997)
Maintained by: Mike H
Originally Created by: Sharla
Record added: Jan 15, 2014
Find A Grave Memorial# 123488306
I'm sorry I never got to know Amy, my first cousin thrice removed, as well as her children and their families!
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Amy Letitia Welker Merrill's Timeline
| 1875 |
April 25, 1875
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Bloomington, Bear Lake, Idaho, United States
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| 1895 |
June 16, 1895
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Safford, AZ, United States
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| 1897 |
August 14, 1897
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Safford, Graham, Arizona, United States
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| 1899 |
August 21, 1899
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| 1902 |
July 5, 1902
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San Jose, Graham, Arizona, United States
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| 1904 |
November 6, 1904
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San Jose, Cochise, Arizona, United States
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| 1905 |
1905
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| 1963 |
November 12, 1963
Age 88
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Safford, Graham, Arizona, United States
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Safford city Cemetery, Safford, Graham, Arizona, United States
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