Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Dye (Welch), Polly December 18, 1890
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Ionia Standard - Friday, 19 December 1890
Mrs. Polly Dye died at 8 o’clock a.m. Thursday at the family homestead on Dye 
street.  Death came quietly and peacefully after a long illness.  Remains will 
be taken from the house at 1 p.m. and the funeral will be attended from the 
Church of Christ at 2 o’clock on Saturday afternoon.  Mrs. Dye was daughter of 
Vine Welch, a substantial farmer of Herkimer county, N. Y.  She was born 
January 29, 1813, at Middleburg, N.Y.  She was married to Richard Dye in 
Herkimer, N. Y., March 3, 1832 where they resided until the spring of 1836, 
when they joined the colonists at Ionia, where they passed the remainder of 
their lives.

Eight children were born to them, five of whom are living:  George H., Ionia; 
Mary E., died in 1856; Rebecca, died in 1838; John W., Ionia; Bloomfield U., 
Rocky Ford, Col.; Chas. R., Ionia; Franklin S., drowned in Grand River in 
1862; and James K., of Rocky Ford, Col.  Richard Dye died Jan. 28, 1886.  In 
her father’s family were nine children, of whom John B. Welch, of Ionia 
township, is now the last survivor.

Mrs. Dye was for several years a member of the Presbyterian church, but in 
1861 she joined the Disciples church at the same time as her husband; who 
became a convert under the ministrations of Rev. Isaac Errett.  Few of the 
early pioneers were more widely known or more generally esteemed that Aunt 
Polly Dye whose kindly heart and cheerful disposition made her a universal 
favorite.  She was indeed ______ type of the pioneer character ready in 
resource to meet an emergency, quick to proffer aid in case of distress, whose 
sympathies had been broadened and deepened by the endurance of common 
hardships and privations, and whose generous nature had been unspoiled by the 
more selfish and exclusive social spirit that animates modern life.  The 
annals of her life are filled with incidents showing the generous and 
sympathetic elements of her character.  The history of Ionia county contains 
two incidents, which we give as indicating her tact in an emergency and as 
interesting in showing the conditions of early pioneer life in Ionia:

In the spring of 1838, the Indians were numerous in this section and frequent 
visitors at the homes of the white settlers.  One day when Mr. Dye was absent, 
two or three stalwart “braves” with their squaws came to the house desiring to 
exchange maple sugar for turnips.  Mrs. Dye had acquired a slight knowledge of 
the Indian language, and gave them to understand that she would give them two 
baskets of turnips for five pounds of sugar.  The sugar was weighed, and Mrs. 
Dye, followed by one of the Indians, started for the cellar, which was back of 
the house, leaving her mother to watch the squaws, who were much given to 
theft.  She measured the turnips according to the bargain, giving him two 
baskets for every five pounds of sugar.  He insisted that he was to have 
three.  She told him in a very decided way that two was the number.  He 
shouted three, and, drawing along knife, jumped toward her and reiterated the 
assertion.  Mrs. Dye, having much presence of mind and an insight into Indian 
character, looked him squarely in the face and gave him to understand that he 
could have but two.  Seeing that she was not to be intimidated, he placed the 
vegetables in his bag and the party went away.

On another occasion two drunken Indians visited the house at night with the 
idea that they could obtain whisky.  The family had returned, Mr. Dye being 
absent, and by neglect the doors were left unfastened.  The first intimation 
that Mrs. Dye had of their presence was being awakened by a bright light.  She 
drew aside the curtains of the bed, and there in the centre of the room with 
torches above their heads, were two tall savages who demanded whisky.  She 
told them that there was none in the house and in such a way that they were 
convinced and by a neat little ruse got them out of the house and closed the 
doors.



Additional Comments:
Highland Park Cemetery - Section 6

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