voelker married grace taylor after he moved to chicago on august 2, 1930. the two lived in chicago for three years, but he was unhappy there. he told grace at the time that "it was better to starve in ishpeming than to wear emeralds in chicago." during his tenure as a county prosecutor, the couple started a family. they had a son, robert, who died at 18 months age, and three daughters: elizabeth, julie, and gracie. john and grace had opposite personalities. he was known as cantankerous and intolerant while she was the opposite, a balance said by friends to have preserved their marriage for more than 60 years. they were known to share jabs with each other, but they were also known for a deep and loving marriage.