Amy Lucille Waldrom

Amy Lucille Merrill was the daughter of Henry Morgan Merrill and Amy Letitia Welker Merrill. She was born August 21, 1899, in Safford, Arizona. She married William Eustace Waldrom on April 30, 1917, in Clifton, Arizona, in the presence of witnesses Ralph Brizzee and Florence O'Leary, by Rev. C.H. Levi. Her maternal grandmother, Eliza Madsen Welker was a Danish immigrant whose family had converted to become Mormons while they were still in Denmark. Her maternal grandfather, Alfred Welker, was from a family who lived in North Carolina in the late 1700's and moved in the early 1800's to the frontier of Ohio. There they were converted to the Mormon Church in the 1830's while the church was in its infancy.

Amy Lucille Merrill Waldrom was 30 years old in the 1930 U.S. Federal Census, and was living in Bryce, Graham County, Arizona, with her husband William E. Waldrom, 36, and their daughter Charlotte, 11 years old. Amy Lucille and William had been married for 14 years. He was born in Texas and she in Arizona, as was their daughter. William's parents were both born in Mississippi and Amy Lucille's father was born in Utah and her mother in Idaho. William was working as a farmer.

Six years later Amy Lucille's father, Henry Morgan Merrill, passed away on January 9, 1936, in Solomon, Graham County, Arizona, and was buried in the Safford City Cemetery. He was the son of Philemon Christopher Merrill and Mary Jane Smith Merrill. Philemon was an LDS polygamist who had three wives, Cyrena Dustin, who he married in 1840 Nauvoo, Illinois, and they had 8 children. He then married Mary Jane Smith April 5, 1851, and they had 8 children. She died in 1871 and then he married Rhoda Sylvia Collette in 1873, and they had one child.

In the 1940 census Amy Lucille and William were living at 1024 South Central Avenue in Safford, Graham County, Arizona, and were listed as follows in the census: William E. Waldrom, 45, Lucille, Charlotte, 21, and son Billie, 7 years old. They owned their home which was valued at $4,000 and William was working as the manager of a cotton gin. For the 52 weeks he worked in 1939 at 48 hours per week his income was $2,400. He had 2 years of college education, Lucille had 4 years of high school, Charlotte had 4 years of college and Billie was in the second grade.

When William Eustace Waldrom completed his U.S. World War II Draft Registration Card in 1942, he was 47 years old, having been born September 15, 1894, in Malakoff, Texas. He was still living at 1024 Central Avenue in Safford, Arizona, and was working for Producers Ginning Company in Safford. The name of the person who he indicated would always know his address was his married daughter, Mrs. Norman Welker of Safford, Arizona. William was described as being 6' tall and 195 pounds with gray hair, brown eyes and a ruddy complexion.

William passed away just 9 years later on September 3, 1951, while in Los Angeles, California. He was buried in the Safford City Cemetery with his parents, Charles Edward Waldrom and Maggie E. Waldrom.

Amy Lucille lived another 28 years and passed away April 11, 1979, in Safford and was buried in the Safford City Cemetery with William. Their daughter, Charlotte Lucille Waldrom married Norman James Welker. She passed away in 1997 in Safford, and was also buried in the Safford Cemetery. Her husband, Norman, lived another 10 years and died in 2007 and was also buried in the Safford Cemetery. Their daughter, Susan Welker, born in 1942, passed away in 2014 in Highland, Utah, and was also buried in the Safford Cemetery. She raised seven children and for 48 years was a dental hygienist and was also a member of the LDS church.