Harriet Angeline Welker

Harriet Angeline Lish by Angeline W. Hansen, Granddaughter: Harriet Angeline Lish was born the 25th of July 1839, in the little town of Greenwood, Stuben County, New York. She was the eighth child and first daughter of Joseph Lyons Lish and Harriet Ann (Tripp) Lish. Four years before her birth her parents had accepted the gospel and been baptized by George A. Smith. They were his first converts and were baptized the 11th of July 1835. About 1843, the Lish family moved to Michigan. Two of their children were born there. Later they moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, to be near the body of the church. They were among the Saints who were driven out of Nauvoo and settled for a time in Winter Quarters. The Lish family lived in Pottawattamie Flatts about six miles west of Winter Quarters.

In 1848, the name of Joseph L. Lish was listed with the names of the High Priests. His name is also found on a petition asking the government for a post office. Most of the Lish family came to Utah in 1850 and lived in Ogden, Utah. While living in Ogden, Grandmother's father was made a high councilman to President Lorin Farr of Weber Stake. We also find his name on a petition (as a committeeman) approving the actions of Brigham Young in preserving peace with the Indians.

On December 21, 1850, Grandmother's brother Peter left Salt Lake with a company of Saints under the leadership of George A. Smith to pioneer in Iron County. When they were nearing the end of their journey they had become separated into three groups. The last group was so joyful over their safe arrival and finding the soil rich and conditions generally good; they asked permission to fire a few rounds of ammunition by way of celebration. When the volley of shots were heard by the first group, who were some distance ahead, they were fearful that the last group had been attacked by Indians. Peter Lish and Zachariah Decker, who were on horseback, rushed back full speed to help fight off the Indians.

Grandmother and her older brother, Everett, did not come to Utah in 1850 with the rest of the family. They came in 1853 with a company of Saints under the leadership of John W. Cooley and John A. Miller. They arrived at the Temple Square at four o'clock in the afternoon. The wagons were overloaded so most of the people walked all the way across the plains. Grandmother was one of those who walked all the way.

In February of 1855, Harriet Angeline Lish married Jacob Stoker Welker of Willard, Utah. To his union was born six sons and seven daughters:

Jacob Welker, Jr. born May 25, 1856

Harriet Ann Welker born December 3, 1857

Charles Wesley Welker born May 4 1859

Joseph Lyons Welker born February 9, 1861

John Quincy Welker, born September 10, 1862

Louisa Mahala Welker, born July 12, 1864

Arlena Emeline Welker born April 6, 1866

James Myron Welker born November 1, 1868

Amelia Jane Welker born April 19, 1871

Eliza Augusta Welker born January 6, 1873

Alvah Alexander Welker born August 15 1874

Rachael Melvina Welker born November 19, 1876

Alzada Angeline Welker born September 9, 1878

They lived in Willard, Box Elder County, Utah for a short time and then in Bloomington, Bear Lake County, Idaho for the rest of their lives. Some of the things the grandchildren remember about Grandmother are a sweet disposition, a high regard for her husband's wishes, her strong testimony of the gospel and her wonderful fervent prayers as they knelt in family prayer. She died the 6th of October 1914 and is buried in the little cemetery on the hill in Bloomington, Idaho.

A Short Sketch of Jacob Stoker Welker and Harriet Angeline Lish by Amanda L. Pearce, Granddaughter:

Grandmother had it so much different than we have it now. Grandfather always went to town and bought their clothes and food and never took her with him. He always thought she should stay home. We remember her saying after he died that she did not know how to go to the store to buy anything and how she wished he would have taken her with him and could have enjoyed being with him more. They lived in a log house with three rooms in a row, kitchen, living room and bedroom. She was a wonderful cook and homemaker. We will always remember the good old salt risen bread and the cookies. It seemed we never went there that she didn't have some of those good big cream cookies or a piece of bread and jam. She cooked in the big iron and brass kettles and buckets. We liked to wash them and shine them like a looking glass.

They always had such pretty flowers and a good garden and plenty of vegetables and fruits, black and red raspberries, dewberries, gooseberries and large currants. The surroundings around their home were beautiful. It was about three miles from town just up in the mountains with a creek running through the place (Worm Creek). There was a cold spring next to a hill by a tree they boarded it up and kept their milk and butter in it. As long as I can remember grandfather had white hair and a long white beard. I stayed with them quite a lot and helped them pick fruit. I was there when he took a stroke and one of his brothers was there visiting with them. They had been out looking over the fields when they came in he sat down on a chair and leaned his head over his hand; when supper was ready they spoke to him and he didn't answer and they found he had taken a stroke. He was bed fast for a long time. Then he got so he could get around with a cane and would lift the vines of the dewberries with a fork while the children picked the berries. (Mostly his grandchildren.)

After grandfather had his second stroke he was never able to walk again and it was really hard for grandmother to take care of him. She had to lift him in and out of bed. They didn't have wheel chairs like we have today so they put casters on his chair so he could be wheeled around to rest him from his bed. Eleven years passed from the time he had his first stroke until he took his third and passed away the 28 April 1911 in Bloomington, Idaho.

Grandfather was a very kind man, of course being ill so long he would get very discouraged and sit and cry at times to see grandmother have to wok so hard and lift him so much for he was a big man. After grandfather passed away grandmother came out to Parker and stayed with the folks for a while, but her health was broken and after she went back home she was bed fast for quite a while with cancer. She passed away on the 6 October 1914 at Bloomington, Idaho. Grandmother and Grandfather were both buried in the Bloomington Cemetery beside their two children.

SOURCE: Family Search.org

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=38199556

There is another photograph of Harriet Angeline Lish Welker under the Media Tab above when she was 18 years old.

• Updated from MyHeritage Family Trees via brother Enos Lyman Blakely Lish by SmartCopy: May 16 2015, 1:18:12 UTC