after law school, voelker returned home to work for the law firm of eldredge & eldredge in marquette. he also worked as an assistant prosecuting attorney in marquette county, michigan. after two years apart from grace, he moved to chicago. after their marriage, he practiced law with the firm of meyer, austrian & platt. they lived in chicago for three years before he returned to michigan. voelker's few jobs at the time barely kept them solvent, returning to a rural area in the middle of the great depression.