John Percy Welker

John Percy Welker was born September 24, 1878, in Bloomington Bear Lake County, Idaho, to parents, John Eller Welker and Sarah Ann Thornock Welker. John Eller Welker's father, John Welker, had come to Utah in 1852 with the Isaac Stewart Company of Latter-day Saints, along with his wife Roxanna Mahalia Dustin Welker, and their daughter, Roxana Louisa Welker, who was John Eller's sister. In the 1880 U.S. Federal Census for Bloomington, John Percy was 2 years old and living with his parents, John Eller 26, and Sarah Ann, 24, and older sister, Sarah O., 4. John's father, John Eller Welker, was working as a laborer, and his mother, Sarah Ann Thornock Welker, was keeping house.

Living next door were John's paternal grandparents, John Welker, 50, his wife, Roxanna M., 46, and living in their home was Roxanna's nephew, Levi J. Dustin, 14. John's grandfather was working as a farmer, his wife Roxanna was keeping house, and Levi was working as a farm laborer. Living a few doors down from John and Roxanna was John Eller Welker's cousin, James A. Welker, 29, and his wife, Inger Marie Madsen Welker, 25, and their daughter, Clara, 3, and son James A., 9 months old. Next door was another cousin, Adam Welker, 27, and his wife, Clara, 23, and their son Anson R., one year old. Their parents were all early pioneers of the Bear Lake Valley, since John Percy Welker's grandfather, John, and his family had been sent there from their homes in Utah by the Mormon Church in 1863 to settle the area with Charles Rich, who was one of the Mormon leaders.

John Percy's aunt (his father's sister) Roxana Louisa Welker married Christian Madsen, who was the brother of Inger Marie Madsen Welker, the wife of James A Welker, John Eller Welker's cousin. Another Madsen daughter, Eliza, also married into the Welker family, when she married Alfred Welker, the son of James Wilburn Welker, who was the brother of John Welker, John Percy's grandfather.

John Percy Welker married Grace Roueche on September 3, 1900, in Wilford, Idaho. She was the daughter of Francis and Helen Roueche. In the 1910 U.S. Federal Census for Wilford, Fremont, Idaho, John is listed as J.P., 32, and his wife, Grace, 29, and their children were Clarence, 8, and Vivian, 5. Grace's parents and siblings were living nearby, and were listed as: Francis, 51, Helen, 52, Kate, 17, Lester, 10, Audrey, 11, Roy, 8. Francis and Helen had been married for 30 years, and had 8 children. Francis was also working as a farmer, and living in their home was a border by the name of A. Hashimoto, 26, who was from Japan and was working as a "hired man" on the family farm. The census record states that Mr. Hashiomoto was working in the sugar beet industry. Next door to Francis and Helen, was their married son, John Roueche, 25, and his wife, Millie, 19, who were newlyweds. John was also working as a farmer on a rented farm

On September 12, 1918, when John Percy completed his U.S. World War I Draft Registration Card, he described himself as being of medium height and build with brown eyes and brown hair. He registered at the local board for Fremont County, in St. Anthony, Idaho. At the time he was 40 years old, having been born September 24, 1878. At the time he was living in Chester, Idaho, with his wife, Grace, and was working as a farmer.

In the 1920 census for Ashton, Idaho, John Percy was listed simply as Percy, 42, with Grace, 39, and their children, Clarence, 17, Vivian, 15, and a new daughter, Grace, 8 years old. John was still working as a farmer, and his son, Clarence, was working as a farm laborer on the home farm.

John Percy Welker passed away on October 7, 1930, at the fairly young age of 53 years old. He was buried in the Wilford Cemetery, and his wife, Grace, passed away 17 years later while living in Los Angeles, California. She was buried with her husband in the Wilford Cemetery.

John and Grace's son, Clarence, married Pearl Adams on October 9, 1926, in Idaho Falls, Bonneville County, Idaho. Pearl was the daughter of Rufus and Elzina Adams. She was raised and attended schools in Grace, Idaho, and later came to Pocatello to work where she lived with her sister, Vera Mingo.

In 1930, they were living in a rented home on Halliday Street in Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho. Clarence, 28, and Pearl, 22, had a 2 and a half year old daughter named Glynnes. They were paying $20.00 per month rent and had been married for three years. Clarence was working as a watchman in a cheese factory. There is also a listing for Clarence C. and Pearl Welker in a Pocatello U.S. City Directory for 1930 stating that Clarence was working as a cook at the Kraft Cheese Company, and they were living at 926 E. Halliday Street at that time.

In that same directory listing, there were three other Welker's listed, an Everett J., with wife Alice, who was working for the Standard Dairy, and living at 610 E. Oak, and a George who was also an employee at Standard Dairy, and was living at the same address. There was also a Percy Welker, working as an employee at the Idaho Power company and rooming at the Marion Hotel. I wonder if this was Clarence's father, Percy, before he passed away in the Fall of 1930?

By the 1940 U.S. Federal Census, Clarence and his family were living in San Antonio, Los Angeles county, California. Their home was located at 1542 E. 75th Street, and Clarence, 32, Pearl 30, Glynnes, 12, and their 6 year old son, Don. They were renting their home for $25.00 per month. Clarence had 3 years of high school, Pearl had 2 years, Glynnes was in the 7th grade and Don was in the 1st grade. Don was born in California, which means that the family moved there about 1933 or earlier. Clarence was working as a painter for a building contractor.

Sadly, just seven years later, Clarence Clifford Welker, born March 27, 1905, in Wilford, Fremont, Idaho, at 2:00 a.m., passed away on December 11, 1947, in Los Angeles County, California, at the young age of 42 years old. He was buried in the Mountain View Cemetery in Pocatello, Bannock County, Idaho, Plot: 34E, 1, 7.

In the 1949 U.S. City Directory for Pocatello, Idaho, Pearl was listed as the widow of Clarence, and was working as a waiter and living at 331 S. Arthur Avenue. There were also two other Welker's listed, one as Elmer E. Welker and another, Sherman R. Welker, and they were both students at ISC and were living at 91 Campus Drive. I don't know if either of them were related to Clarence.

In the 1953 U.S. City Directory for Pocatello, Idaho, Clarence's wife, Pearl, was still living at 331 S. Arthur Avenue, and there was a Henry Welker living at 153 S. 3rd Avenue, but I don't know if he was related to Clarence. Two years later, Pearl married Max Gholson in Rexburgh, Idaho, on September 22, 1955. She worked at Wyz Way Market in Pocatello for 21 years. Pearl passed away October 26, 2003, at her home in Pocatello, at the age of 96, after an illness. Following is her obituary from the Idaho State Journal dated October 29, 2003:

POCATELLO - Pearl Gholson, 96, passed away October 26, 2003, at her home following an illness. She was born August 17, 1907, at Grace, Idaho, the daughter of Rufus and Elzina Adams. She was raised and attended schools in Grace, Idaho. She later came to Pocatello to work, and she lived with her sister, Vera Mingo.

She married Clarence Welker in Idaho Falls, Idaho, in 1926. They moved to Los Angeles, California, until his death in 1947. She managed a 10-unit court until that time, then moving back to Pocatello. She married Max Gholson in Rexburg, Idaho, on September 22, 1955. She worked at Wyz Way Market in Pocatello for 21 years. She is survived by her one stepdaughter, Maxine St. Peters, Salt Lake City, Utah; one half-brother, Donald Adams, Pocatello, Idaho; 10 grandchildren; seven great-grand children. She was preceded in death by her parents, two husbands, three sisters, two brothers.

Graveside services will be held Thursday, October 30, 2003, at 2 p.m., at Restlawn Memorial Gardens, with Wayne Newby officiating. Funeral arrangements under the direction of Manning-Wheatley Funeral Chapel.

Pearl was buried at Restlawn Memorial Gardens, Pocatello, Bannock Count, Idaho, in Plot: 3W, 36, 4, next to her second husband, P. Maxwell Gholson, born December 10, 1912, and died in 1996.