Son of John Welling and Mary Ann Key

Married Frances Elizabeth Yeoman, 6 Feb 1852, Portsmouth, Hampshire, England

Married Marietta Holmes, 12 May 1866, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Phoebe Louisa Holmes, 21 Dec 1868, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Married Emma Lucinda Holmes, 28 Apr 1875, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah

Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 1, p. 307

Job Welling, my grandfather, was born January 9, 1833 in the town of Audlem, Cheshire County, England. His father, John Welling was born in 1800, near Shropshire, England and his mother, Mary Ann Comer Welling at Cheshire, England. His brothers and sisters were Lemuel, John, Mary, David, Hannah, Thomas and Ann, all born at Audlem.

Job was an industrious lad. He, and his brother, Thomas, learned the tailoring trade. Tom heard the Gospel and after carefully examining its principles joined the Church and became a traveling Elder. One of his first converts was his brother, Job. Tom turned against the Church through some misunderstanding. Job, however, was ardent enough in his beliefs that he did not let Tom's actions influence him. He consented to be a traveling Elder and while on a visit to Portsmouth met Frances E. Yoeman, who later became his wife.

Two children, Job Jr., and Frances, were born but Frances died in infancy. Job was anxious to come to Utah, so on the 23rd of March, 1856, he, his wife, and child, sailed from Liverpool on the ship Enoch Train, arriving in Boston on May 1st. From here they traveled by railroad to Iowa, where on the 9th of June, 1856, they joined the first handcart company, under Captain Ellsworth, en route to Salt Lake City. Among those who died along the way was their nineteen months old son.

Grandfather and his wife stayed in Salt Lake City for two weeks then moved to Farmington where he immediately established himself in the tailoring trade, besides farming and carrying on his civic and Church duties. He was a member of the Nauvoo Legion. Five children were born to Job and Frances in Farmington, but three died in infancy. On December 29, 1865, Job's wife died leaving him the care of Willard Key and Annie Maria, their two small children.

On May 12, 1866, Job married Marietta Holmes, daughter of Elvira Annie Cowles Smith Holmes and Jonathan Harriman Holmes. She readily recognized Job Welling's fine assets, and also her heart went out to the children. On December 20, 1869, a sister Phoebe Louisa Holmes, became the third wife of Job Welling. Grandfather must have found "that something" in the Holmes girls for he asked the third sister, Emma Lucinda to become his wife. But it was not until just before he left in June, 1875 for a two years' mission to Australia that she gave her consent and they were married.

Job and his two companions, Thomas Steed and Jacob Miller received permission from Brigham Young to go by way of England so that they could visit with friends and relatives. They left Farmington June 16th and arrived in New York June 22nd. At 3 p.m., the same day they set sail for England. Jacob was seasick most of the time.

They arrived in Liverpool on July 5, 1875. Job did some sight seeing but his foremost interest was in looking up the family he had left some nineteen years ago. He found his sister, Mary, in the same house but she did not know him. Finally, after quite a lengthy conversation she exclaimed, "Job, is it thee?" Grandfather experienced much joy and pleasure in these reunions with his family. He wrote in his diary, "Father soon learned that I am at Mary's and he comes and takes me with his left (his only) hand and sways to and fro with emotion and says, 'Job, Job, I thought you were dead!'" Job visited the entire family and also friends and found that many of them had changed so that he could hardly recognize them. There was great rejoicing and a sad leave-taking. Before leaving, Grandfather visited his mother's grave. He also obtained all the genealogy he could on his family.

August 26th he left Liverpool en route to Melbourne, Australia, and arrived there fifty-two days later on October 20th. In his diary he gives a very interesting account of the peculiar manner in which the water behaved—the great mountains of water rising on both sides of the ship—giving the passengers a very insignificant feeling. He also tells of the unusual experience encountered when they came to the division of North and South, actually feeling the meeting of the tides which formed great ridges such as could be made by continual back-furrowing. This occurrence was entirely strange to most of the seamen. And, of course, there was much about their studying and preaching the gospel on the boat.

On his arrival in Australia there were myriads of problems awaiting him. He made many friends for himself and the Church. He was able to use his ability as a tailor while there in making suits for the brethren. Throughout his diary he expressed his love and devotion for his wives and children and his constant anxiety for their welfare.

On March 13, 1877 he was released. He returned by way of San Francisco and then by rail to Utah arriving home May 20, 1877, where he was warmly welcomed by his family and friends. He was now in debt quite heavily for missionary expenses so he immediately went to work to get it paid. He went into the merchandising and tailoring business and also owned some large tracts of land which he farmed.

On the 7th day of March, 1886, Grandfather Welling died of a heart attack. His survivors were three wives and twenty children. Although he was only 53 years of age at the time of his death, yet his accomplishments were many and varied.

In Grandfather's choice of the three Holmes sisters as wives he showed excellent judgment. While he was on his mission and at his death, the wives took over the responsibilities of providing, of disciplining and of managing very well. Grandmother Phoebe said when asked what they did when their husband and provider left, "What didn't we do! We taught school, did nursing, weaving, gardening and carried on the best we could. It was a pleasure even if there were hardships. I nursed all three babies and stayed at home doing the weaving and household tasks until the babies could be weaned. We had a carpet loom and I made carpets for all who brought their rags to be woven."

Grandfather, though in faraway Australia, had the responsibilities of his family very much in mind. He wrote them where to plant certain seeds and to whom to go for any assistance needed. They all seemed to share and share alike in the large family. The first wife, Marietta, was the righteous judge, being even tempered and serene of nature, and never favoring her children above the others. One of the sons, Milton H. Welling, in his tribute to his Mother said: "If these women ever had a disagreement I never heard of it. If a voice was raised in anger, I do not know it, neither did any other living man. There must have been many midnight conferences and anxious decisions, but at dawn we were on the march—always forward."

In Grandfather's letter were found some of these beautiful expressions: "Great waves racing, rolling, tumbling in and breaking into numerous small ones, and then arranging themselves again as in battle array—only to spend their fury upon each other, and again they are dashed to pieces." "The sea is almost smooth, and it waves as gently in the slight breeze as a field of tall timothy or red-top hay would before a light wind." "Our boat rides the waves like the queen of the seas." — Marjorie Welling Groesbeck