Born: 14 July 1914, United States
Died: 1973
Country most active: United States
Also known as: Violet Ida Belcher
The following is republished from the National Park Service. This piece falls under under public domain, as copyright does not apply to “any work of the U.S. Government” where “a work prepared by an officer or employee of the U.S. Government as part of that person’s official duties” (See, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101, 105).
Violet Ida Belcher was born July 14, 1914, in Ovapa, West Virginia. She married Russell B. Markle in 1930 when she was 16 years old. The birth of her first daughter delayed completion of her high school education. The Markles moved to the Washington, DC area in 1935. She returned to school and graduated from Eastern High School in 1936, even lettering in basketball despite having a four-year old at home.
Markle began working for the federal government in March 1943 but it’s not clear if that was with USPP or elsewhere in the federal government. She was certainly working for USPP as a police officer by September 1946. Few specifics are known about her career. In February 1949 she and officer Gertrude E. Wilson (and 12 policemen) completed first aid training. In September that same year, she was almost run over during an arrest. According to a newspaper account of the incident, Private Markle was on duty in Potomac Park when a car drove up beside her vehicle. The man inside exposed himself to her. Markle stepped from her car, showed her badge, and told him he was under arrest. Instead of complying, he drove at her, causing her to jump out of the way to avoid being hit. She was able to get his license plate and he was quickly apprehended by other USPP officers.
The 1950 United States census recorded that she was a “policeman” with the US Park Police, working 48 hours a week. Her husband worked as a fireman. By then, they had also had a second daughter. By at least 1963, she was a detective, a position she held until sometime after 1969. She is likely the first woman detective in USPP history.
Markle died in 1973 in Washington, DC at the age of 59. It’s believed that she was a detective in the criminal investigations branch at the time of her death.