Bessie Welker Jacobson

Bessie Welker was the last child born to John Quincy Welker, who at the time of her birth was 49, and his wife, Julia Ann Morris Welker, was 43. Bessie was born in Bloomington, Bear Lake, Idaho, on August 4, 1911, at 6:00 a.m. Bessie's father, John, was born in Utah to Jacob Stoker Welker and Harriet Angeline Lish. Bessie's mother, Julia, was born in Georgia, to Gadison Morris and Elizabeth Wanslee Morris. The Welker's had been sent by the LDS Church to move from Utah to settle the Bloomington area in 1863 when John Quincy Welker was just one year old.

By the 1920 U. S. Federal Census for Bloomington, Bessie was 8 years old, living with her parents and older brother, Clinton. They were listed in the census as follows: John Q., 57, Julia, 52, Clinton, 16, and Bessie, 8. John was working as a laborer on a neighbors farm, and his son, Clinton was "working out" as a laborer.

One of their neighbors was James Jacobson, 54, and his wife, Elzada, 50, and their children, Farrell William, 20, and Virgie, 15. Nine years later, James and Elzada's son, Farrell, would become Bessie's husband, even though there was about a 12 year difference in their ages. At the time of their marriage in Bloomington, Bear Lake, Idaho, on August 13, 1929, Bessie was just 18 years old, and Farrell was 30.

When Farrell William Jacobson completed his U.S. World War I Draft Registration Card on September 12, 1918, he described himself as being of medium height and build with blue eyes and brown hair. He registered at the local board in Paris, Bear Lake County, Idaho, and at the time he was 19 years old, having been born March 4, 1899, in Bloomington. He was working as a laborer for his father, James Jacobson. I don't know if he ever served in the military during World War I, since I found no military records for him.

Other neighbors in the 1920 census were Anton Peter Madsen, a 68-year old widower, his wife, Elizabeth Mary Jane Nelson Madsen, having recently passed away, and next door to Anton was his son, Asa, 35, who was also a widower, living with his children Louise, 7, Ruth, 5, and Leone, 3 years and 5 months old. Anton Peter Madsen's wife, Elizabeth Mary Jane Nelson, was the daughter of Mary Catherine Welker and Thomas Billington Nelson.

Mary Catherine Welker was the sister of John Quincy Welker's father, Jacob Stoker Welker. One of Jacob Stoker Welker's brothers, John, and his wife, Roxana Mahala Dustin Welker, had a daughter, Roxana Louisa Welker, who married Anton Peter Madsen's brother, Christian. Roxana Louisa Welker's brother, John Eller Welker, married into the Thornock family, who were also neighbors in Bloomington. There were a lot of connections between the Welker's, the Jacobson's, the Madsen's, the Thornock's and the Dustin's.

In the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for Bloomington, Farrell W. Jacobson, was one year old, living with his parents and siblings and they were listed as follows: James Jacobson, 34, Elzada, 30, James E., 14, and Lauretta, 3. Farrel's father, James was born November of 1854 in Idaho, and mother, Elzada, June, 1859, in Utah. All 3 of their children were born in Idaho. James Jacobson's parents were both born in Denmark, Elzada's father was born in Utah and her mother in England. In 1900, James and Elzada had been married for 15 years, had 5 children, and 3 were still living. Five years later, another daughter was born to them in 1905 and they named her Vergie.

Previously in 1880, James Jacobson, 14, was living with his parents, Frederick, 60, and Elizabeth, 55, and his sister Amelia, 17, and brother, Frederick, 12. Other family members were living nearby, including the brother of John Welker and James Stoker Welker, Adam Welker, 39, and his wife, Agnes, 36, and their children James R., 14, Agnes, 12, Adam D., 10, twins Margene, 8 and Mary E., 8, William B., 6, John A., 4, and Euphemia, 2.

Living two doors down Jacob Stoker Welker, 50, and his wife, Harriet Angeline Lish Welker, 40, and their children, Charles W., 20, Joseph L., 19, John Quincy, 18, Louzadl, 16, Orlena E., 14, James M., 11, Amelia J., 9, Eliza A., 7, Floyd A., 5, and Alzada, 1 year old. The John Quincy shown in the 1880 census was Bessie's father.

Also living nearby was Alfred Welker, 33, a nephew of John, Jacob, and Adam Welker. Alfred was the son of James Wilburn Welker, the oldest of the Welker brothers. Alfred Welker was married to Eliza Madsen, 33, the sister of Christian and Anton Peter Madsen. They were living with their children, David, 8, Amy Letitia, 5, and Jacob, one month old. Alfred was also working as a farmer.

Not long after the 1880 census, many of the Welker and Madsen family members left Bloomington, Bear Lake, Idaho, and moved to Safford, Arizona, in about 1883. Most of them stayed in Arizona, but a few also returned to Idaho.

In the 1930 U.S. Federal Census for Bloomington, Bessie, 18, and Farrell, 30, were living in a rented home and Farrell was working as a farmer. By 1940, they were still living in Bloomington with their children and were listed as follows: Farrell W., 41, Bessie, 28, James F., 7, Thomas R., 5, and Connie M., 2, and Farrell was still working as a farmer. I believe they had two more children, another son and another daughter, but I don't have their names.

In 1954, Farrell and Bessie were living 1t 464 30th Street in Ogden Utah, and Farrell was working as a "cleaner" at Bab's Barbecue. During 1956 and 1957, Farrell and Bessie were living still living Ogden, Utah, and Farrell was working as a "blower" for U.S. Rockwool. In 1958, they were living at the same address but Farrell was working as a kitchen worker at the Dee Hospital. Just six years later, Farrell passed away at the age of 65 on September 5, 1964, and was buried in the Bloomington Cemetery. Bessie lived another 30 plus years and passed away at the age of 87 on January 7, 1998, while living in Roy, Weber Utah.

• Reference: FamilySearch Family Tree - SmartCopy: Aug 2 2021, 21:32:02 UTC