Memories

In this article, I will continue on with stories about Charles (Chuck) and Maude Welch.

Lucille wrote that her father and mother had many hard times but also many good times and wonderful neighbors; many who gave up their homesteads and returned to their former houses. She lists at least ten families with the statement “just to name a few.” The names listed were not known to me.

Maude writes of their “Literary Societies,” social neighbor singing groups and baseball teams. She mentioned that Chuck was quite a catcher. Those baseball genetics were passed on to four sons as you will read about later. The ‘Society’ put on three act plays and Maude would recite poems from memory. Unknown to most of us, Maude played the piano and organ for songs during these times. She received a piano from her dad shortly after arriving at the homestead all the way from Bloomfield, Nebraska. This must have taken some effort. The piano was put to good use as there was usually a Sunday School class.

There were six children born to Chuck and Maude Welch after coming to Montana: Gerald, Lucile, Edlon, Charles M (Mel), Gladys and Clyde.

Gerald, or Jerry as he was called, was born on the Forrest Welch homestead and received his schooling in Carter County rural schools and Carter County High School. He married Eleanora Frye and they raised four children. Jerry passed away in 1963 and Eleanora in 1969.

Lucille, who is the author of the Shifting Scenes article, was born on the homestead about sixteen miles east of Ekalaka. She was the only child to be born there. Her birth was attended by Dr. Baker of Ekalaka and Mrs. Bert Bohlman, a neighbor lady who was a registered nurse. Sorry those two names are not known to me. Lucile received her grade school education at the Spring Valley and Fairview Schools and attended CCHS. In 1941 she married Doug Marston of Powderville, Montana and in 1957 married E.J. (Van) Venhaus from Lawrence, Nebraska. She had three children.

Eldon (Cub) was born at Marmarth, North Dakota where his dad was working in the railroad roundhouse (yes, things have changed in Marmarth today). He received his education in Carter County. He married Marilyn Price Hough and together they raised seven children. There will be more about Cub in later articles.

Mel was born at Marmarth, North Dakota and received his education in Carter County schools. He married Verna Frye and they had four children.

Gladys was born in rural Carter County, one of the many babies delivered by beloved Dr. B.B. Sandy and assisted by Mrs. Bert Bohlman. She received her education in Carter County schools and Eastern Montana College in Billings. She married Philip Parker, a native of Wibaux, Montana and they had a daughter.

Clyde was born in Baker, Montana and his education was in Carter County and Dickinson Teachers College. Clyde married Donna Dove of Missoula and they had three children.

The four sons of Chuck and Maude served in the United States Navy. Jerry, Eldon (Cub), and Mel served during World War II and Clyde during the Korean conflict. Among the long list of Welches that graduated from Carter County High School were: Lucille in 1936, Melville (Mel) in 1941, Gladys in 1943, and Clyde in 1946.

Now I will share some of my memories of this homestead family as I remember them.

Clyde excelled in football but broke his shoulder or arm during the 1946 season. During the early 1950s, Ekalaka had a baseball team. Jerry played first base, Mel was in the outfield and Cub played catcher and sometimes pitched. Because of Clyde’s injury he did not play, but acted as manager. I was fortunate to play with this group of men and enjoyed the game. Cub also played Minor League Baseball in the Billings area.

One memory that I have of the girls (Lucille and Gladys) is from during the war, when on every Saturday night dances were held at the New Life and Old Stand dance halls. Lucille and Gladys would often dance together (remember most all men were in the service) with such light feet and coordination that I can still see them today. I believe at times they were in their stockings.

I close this article with Cub’s poem which I first mentioned and will continue next time with Cub Welch’s Shifting Scenes article and his other poem.

As I sit here, in this veil of tears

I turn the clock back for sixty years.

Back to the day when I was just a lad

Sheltered and protected by my Mother and Dad.

Surrounded by a family and all the joy

Of a happy, carefree Country boy!

Things that a city boy may not understand

Free to roam the hills and play in the sand.

To swim in the creek and catch bullfrogs

That hid in the moss and under logs

To watch baby ducks take their very first swim

Supervised by the mother hen.

To see baby birds as they learn to fly

Watched by their mother’s anxious eye.

With time to sit and watch the ants

As they gathered food from various plants.

To catch water snakes that made my hands smell

To observe a snail that was hid in his shell.

To watch a turtle as he swam in a pool

To grow up natural by the Golden Rule.

To sit at the edge of a prairie dog town

And hear them chatter from their earthen mound.

To sit at night and watch the nightingale

And listen to the coyote make it’s lonely wail.

To watch a rabbit as it hopped along

And listen to the meadowlark sing a song.

To watch the chicken hawk fly overhead

And see a mother hen herd her brood to a shed.

To watch the eagle as he soared on high

Watching for prey with his piercing eye.

To see a newborn colt on shaky legs

And baby chicks burst from their eggs.

To watch a mother cow nurse a newborn calf

To watch baby pigs—sure to make me laugh.

To smell the flowers as they were gently blown

To walk barefoot on fresh turned loam.

To lay in bed at night and hear the coyotes howl

And the hooting of the wise old owl.

To spend a warm summer night on the bank of a creek

On an annual Family Fishing Trek.

To roam the pastures with my horse and dog

To hear the chirp of the crickets and croak of the frog.

Along the creek, swamps and pools,

When the sun goes down and the evening cools,

To learn how life itself begins

And why it goes on and never ends

How each species need a mate

To carry on and propagate.

As I grew older, but was still a boy

How life itself was fraught with joy

And because I changed to man from boy

I needn’t pass up all life’s joy.

I had no desire to travel or roam

But was happy and content in my country home.