Memories

My last article was on the J.G. (June) Olson and Harry Roberts families and stated how Harry loved baseball as did his son Gary. Gary has contacted me and triggered memories of another homestead family. That family was Charles F. “Chuck” and Maude O. Welch.

Lucile (Welch) Venhaus is the author of the article on the family in “Shifting Scenes, Vol II,” page 919. The article shares a very interesting history of them and their children.

“Both my parents, Charles (Chuck) and Maude O. Wilson Welch were born in Iowa, grew up in Nebraska, first met in South Dakota and were married in Sioux City, Iowa December 9, 1912. They lived in Pithney, South Dakota until the spring of 1914 when they moved with their baby son to Carter County to homestead about 16 Miles east of Ekalaka. The baby, eight month old Woodrow Wilson died at Ekalaka, May 1914.

They lived with a brother, Forrest until their homestead house was completed which must have been several months or a year after they arrived in Montana. I remember the house from visits in later years. A prairie fire burned it to the ground in the late 1920s.

The folks moved their belongings, household furniture, farm machinery and livestock by immigrant train to Baker, then on to their new land by team and wagon. Mother had a buggy and a registered trotting mare which brought her from Baker, through the Medicine Rocks to my Uncle’s homestead a few miles east of Ekalaka in what was known as the HS Basin.”

Chuck was a partner in a well drilling business but could find no water on his homestead. However a neighbor, Albert Jardee, had a wonderful spring from which the Welch family got their water. The two women from each family became great friends.

“Mrs. Jardee (Ada) and my mother became lifelong friends and two of their grandchildren, my daughter Sherry Marston and Ada’s grandson, Ivan Jardee, are now married to each other.”

There were hard times during the dry years and many of the families left. During these times entertainment consisted of “social times” and baseball. Lucile states that her dad was “quite a baseball player.”

I remember when in grade school (mid 40s) that during the summer the community would go to Opechee Park east of Ekalaka in the hills for a day of entertainment with food, dancing and baseball.

People would come for miles in wagons and Model Ts.

One thing I did not know was that Maude played the piano and the organ. Lucile also stated that wherever her mother lived, she started a Sunday School.

Now more on the family: There were six children born to Chuck and Maude Welch in Montana: Gerald, Lucile, Eldon, Charles M. (Mel), Gladys and Clyde. They were born on the homestead, at Marmarth, ND, Baker, Ekalaka and in rural Carter County by Dr. B.B. Sandy.

All children were educated in rural Carter County schools and then CCHS.

All four sons served in the United States Navy, Eldon there in World War II and Clyde during the Korean Conflict.

I have one last thought to share. Baseball was a big part of their lives. I remember a couple of summers when we played. Some of those I remember playing with were Van Venhaus, his son Don, Gary Roberts, and Jerry, Mel and Cub Welch.

Maude died in 1961 and Chuck in 1970.