Family:Unknown and Hester Thompson (1)

Hester Anna Amanda Thompson, daughter of Mary Jane Forehand and James H. Thompson, born June 8th, 1847, in Georgia. She married James Franklin Welch (1834-c.1880). They were living in the community of Deview, near Augusta in Woodruff County Arkansas, in 1870 with two very young children, a girl named Dianna and a boy named James. On the 4th of March, 1871, their second daughter, Mary Beulah Welch, was born. Three boys shortly followed (W. Dexter Welch, Wiley A. Welch, and Frank Welch), and in January of 1880 Mr. Welch purchased 120 acres of land in Lower Oppelo from Sarah Birge (John Birge had first acquired the land from the government in 1857), and though the family was in Oppelo by that year they were enumerated in Perry County. (Oppelo was originally part of Perry Co. but later part of Perry Co. became part of Conway County).

Unfortunately, Mr. Welch died very soon after the family got to Oppelo. Amanda was left with young children to raise and a farm to run, so on the 29th of September, 1881, Amanda was married to John T. Nix (b. abt 1857) by Justice of the Peace B.F. Grinstead. Amanda�s son, Thomas F. Nix, was born in Oppelo soon after.

Hester Anna Amanda Thompson, daughter of Mary Jane Forehand and James H. Thompson, born June 8th, 1847, in Georgia. She married James Franklin Welch (1834-c.1880). They were living in the community of Deview, near Augusta in Woodruff County Arkansas, in 1870 with two very young children, a girl named Dianna and a boy named James. On the 4th of March, 1871, their second daughter, Mary Beulah Welch, was born. Three boys shortly followed (W. Dexter Welch, Wiley A. Welch, and Frank Welch), and in January of 1880 Mr. Welch purchased 120 acres of land in Lower Oppelo from Sarah Birge (John Birge had first acquired the land from the government in 1857), and though the family was in Oppelo by that year they were enumerated in Perry County. (Oppelo was originally part of Perry Co. but later part of Perry Co. became part of Conway County).

Unfortunately, Mr. Welch died very soon after the family got to Oppelo. Amanda was left with young children to raise and a farm to run, so on the 29th of September, 1881, Amanda was married to John T. Nix (b. abt 1857) by Justice of the Peace B.F. Grinstead. Amanda�s son, Thomas F. Nix, was born in Oppelo soon after.

One of the Welch boys left Arkansas suddenly during the depression. He moved to California, where he settled in the Pasadena area. His family owned several successful restaurants in Southern California.