FLOYD AND ISABEL WELKER

by Isabel Welker

Floyd came up from California in 1925 when Royalite Oil Co. brought in Rotary Drilling rigs to replace the old Cable Tool rigs, and experienced drillers to operate them, and to train inexperienced oil workers to work on them.

We were married in 1929 and lived in a little, two roomed house just behind the Royalite Camp, beside the doctor's office. Dr. Hall is the one I recall, but there were others.

"Jiggs" Head was the drilling superintendent at that time, and I remember well how he and Mrs. Head were to me, a newcomer and a greenhorn in the oilfields. We lived there until drilling closed down for a short time, and we went to visit Floyd's Mother in Idaho.

Shortly after we came back from Idaho, things opened up again and we bought another little house in the south end, as that was where the work was at that time. We were three or four miles from Hartell, where we did our shopping at Caspell's store and also got our mail there. Mr. and Mrs. Cliff Brown were our neighbours on one side, with their family, and Chet Culbury's on the other. Mr. and Mrs. Airing and family were across the road and Alice and Bob Burns were not to far away. I recall many happy memories of our life while there. While we were still in the south end, we had the opportunity to buy a larger house, a real nice one, at the Mercury Camp. We lived in it for several years, but about the time we got nicely settled, things opened up in the north end of the Valley and Floyd was driving for miles to work.

Quite near where they were drilling, and Floyd was working, there was a lovely, treed spot on the Olson ranch, so we got permission to camp there for a few months, during the summer. Floyd being a hunter and fisherman, we had lots of camping equipment, so we were quite comfortable, and had a lovely summer. One afternoon we had a hailstorm, which gave us quite a scare, as the stones came down as large as gold balls, and to our dismay some of them came right through the tent.

Shortly after that Floyd was promoted to Drilling Superintendent, so we moved to the Royalite Hill. We did enjoy living there very much, as the homes were nice and comfortable, and we had many nice neighbours. We stayed there until Floyd retired in 1948, and we moved to Edmonton. While we lived in the Valley we found so many interesting and pretty places to go, the Ranger Station was a favorite spot, and Flo and Fred Nash and their girls were so kind to us, we visited them a lot. We also travelled further back to Burn's Mine, which was a lovely place and so interesting.

From, IN THE LIGHT OF THE FLARES, pg 724-725