Amenuensis Monday - Shirley Ethel Norvelle Welch

Shirley Ethel Norvelle Welch was born on July 18, 1915, in Pratt County, Kansas, and died on February 17, 1999. She was the daughter of Clyde Larrison Norvelle and Flora Ethel Ohley Norvelle. As Clyde worked for the railroad, the family moved between railroad towns, living in Kansas, Colorado, Texas and Arizona. It is possible they also lived in other places that aren't documented in online records.

In 1920, the family was living in Wichita Falls, Wichita County, Texas. By 1930, they had settled in an area that was northeast of Tucson, but now is well within the city. Their home in 1930 was near the intersection of Grant Road and Country Club Boulevard. The 1940 census shows the family, without Shirley, living on Bermuda Avenue, which is a few blocks north of Grant Road and east of Country Club. They report having lived in the same house in 1935.

Shirley had married Obie Lee Welch, a truck driver, and they were living in Palo Verde Judicial Township, Riverside County, California, in 1940. Shirley told the census taker that they both had been living in Pima County, AZ, in 1935.

Shirley and Obie returned to Arizona by about 1945, when they bought a home at 26 East Mac Iver Place. This home was built with adobe blocks salvaged from the 1881 Pima County courthouse, which was torn down in 1928. Shirley was interviewed about the house by a writer for the Tucson Daily Citizen and the article was published in 1988. That interview was available online in 2012.

Shirley, Obie, and her parents are all buried at South Lawn Cemetery in Tucson. Also online was Shirley's obituary from the Tucson Daily Citizen.

Visit the Find A Grave memorial for Shirley Ethel Norvelle Welch.

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Transcription of the interview abstract. All typos and misspellings appear as in the original.

Craig R. Schill

Dr. Hinton, Hist 399

INTERVIEW: Mrs. Shirley Welch. Born in 1915 in Pratt, KS. Came to Az in
                           November of 1923. Interview took place on April 12, 1989.

I. Early memories
     a. arrived by train
     b. father was a "fireman"
     c. stayed at Coronado Hotel
     d. lived on 3rd Ave.
     e. moved to south 4th Ave. and 19th Street.

II. School
     a. Safford School
     b. Davidson School
     c. Tucson High School

III. Fireman's job.
     a. a fireman shovels coal for railroad engines
     b. dad and brother worked together
     c. Route went to Lordsburg (stormy route)

IV. Climate
     a. used burlap sacks with water as early coolers
     b. fanned dad
     c. not as hot due to dirt streets and adobe houses

V. First telephones
     a. a ten party line
     b. R & J lines
     c. an adult item

VI. Transportation
     a. walked
     b. one car

VII. Schools

VIII. Prejudice
     a. none
     b. only white child at Safford
     c. that's just the way it was

IX. Entertainment
     a. there was none
     b. just stayed at home

X. Items in home
     a. outhouse
     b. well (50 feet)
     c. no washing machine

XI. Past times
     a. visited Temple of Music and Art.

XII. Were changes in Tucson for better or for worse?
     a. for the worse
          -too much trafic
          -too much travel

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