Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Welch, Verne 1946
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Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net October 5, 2014, 11:01 am

Belding Banner-News, 23 May 1946

Veteran Ends Life At Home Saturday Nite

Note To Mother Stated He Thought Act Was For The Best

Friends of Verne Welch, 38 years of age, were grieved and surprised to learn on
Sunday, that he had taken his own life, shortly after midnight Saturday, at the
home of his mother, Mrs. Rena Irish, with whom he lived, at 707 James street. 
Death was brought on through the drinking of a strong poison which the young man
had purchased at a local drug store, earlier in the evening, at which time he
stated he wished the poison with which to end the life of a dog which he did not
want to suffer longer.

Welch was born at Grand Rapids, on October 2, 1907, but, with the exception of
the three years which he had put in the army, he had spent practically his
entire life in this city.  He attended the local schools and graduated with the
class of 1927.  He had been an employee of the Gibson company for 15 years.

On October 13, 1942, he entered the United States army and rose to the rank of
sergeant.  He was discharged on October 9, 1945 with the awards of the Good
Conduct medal, Rifle Marksman and Rifle Sharpshooter and was an expert
instructor in light and heavy machine guns.  He lamented the fact that his
service had all been in this country and that he had not been allowed to get
into foreign service.

Welch gave no indication at any time prior to his rash act, that he was
despondent.  He appeared cheerful at home during Saturday afternoon and evening
and even after having purchased the lethal agent with which he had apparently
planned for some hours to end his life, he had appeared his usual genial self
and up to a few minutes before retiring had sat in the living room at his
mother’s home and conversed cheerfully with her.  Shortly after retiring she
heard him groaning and going to his room saw that he was very sick.  She
immediately called a doctor, but death had come before the physician arrived. 
It was just before the doctor arrived that two notes, one addressed to his
mother, were found where he had left them before he went to retire.  In the note
addressed to his mother he stated that he felt things would be better that way
and that he felt it was the best of all concerned.

Coroner Bruce G. Fales, who was called, decided that no inquest would be necessary.

Surviving are the mother, Mrs. Irish, his father, Frank Welch, two brothers,
Raymond and Robert, and five sisters, Mrs. Harold Geisen, Mrs. Melvin Mann, Mrs.
Ray Petersen, Mrs. Robert Sailer and Mrs. Stanley Thompson.

Funeral services are to be held this Thursday afternoon at the Fales-Huffman
Funeral Home, at 2 o’clock with Rev. J. Clyde Flewelling of the Free Methodist
church officiating and burial will be in Otisco cemetery.


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