This very poor copy of the Benjamin F. Welker family photograph is presented here in the hope that someone will come forward with a better copy! The date the photo was taken can best be determined by estimating the age of the youngest child, Charles Raymond Welker, who according to information available on Ancestry.com, was born on 17 September 1883. If he is about 5 years old in the family photo, it was taken around 1888. Note what appears to be a medal on his jacket. This could be his father’s G.A.R. badge. Benjamin F. Welker was a Civil War veteran of the 200th Pennsylvania Infantry, Company F, and was a member of the Heilner G.A.R. Post in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
Identifications of persons in the photo:
Front Row (seated): Elizabeth [Gunderman] Welker, mother; Charles Raymon Welker; Benjamin F. Welker, father.
Back Row (standing): William F. Welker; Margaret [Welker] Schoffstall; Benjamin F. Welker Jr.; Jenny A. [Welker] Schell.
Corrections and additional information should be added as comments to this post.
Benjamin is in my direct welker line 🙂 I seen this photo while searching my ancestry on ancestry.com and was so thankful for this image.
Charles Welker was my great grandfather. I lived with him as a teenager and young adult in Philadelphia. He can down to Philly from Lykens during the winter. Search my name Gerry Wilkinson in Google. I’m the first one up. I’m a retired television producer and currently a volunteer CEO of Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia. Please contact me. My cousin Elaine has done a book on the Welker family which includes a better copy of this photo. Also, we have a colorized photo of Benjamin in his civil war uniform.