Obit of Hon. Thomas WELCH (b.1828 d.1893), Sibley Co., MN

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Sibley County Enterprise
Thursday 23 February 1893

A Pioneer Gone
Hon. Thomas Welch Dies Suddenly
at St. Paul Sunday Morning
     Monday's dailies brought the sad news of Hon. Thomas
 Welch's death, which occurred at his winter residence 
on Dayton avenue, St. Paul, Sunday morning, after only a 
few days' illness of erysipelas.  Mr. Welch was taken ill 
early last fall and moved to St. Paul so as to better 
receive medical treatment.  He was always able to around 
and only a short time ago visited Arlington, but last week 
he was compelled to take to his bed from which he never again 
arose, passing away peacefully on Sunday morning last, 
surrounded by the remaining members of his family and relatives.
     The remains were brought to Henderson, where the funeral 
took place Wednesday afternoon under the auspices of Henderson 
Lodge, No. 80, A. F. & A. M.  Bishop Gilbert conducted the 
services of the Episcopal church.  A large delegation of 
Masons from Le Sueur and prominent men from different parts 
of the state were present.  The services were held at the 
court house, from where the remains were taken to Brown's 
cemetery, escorted by the band and followed by a large 
concourse of relatives and friends.  It was without doubt 
one of the largest funerals every held in the county.
     Thomas Welch was born in Ireland in 1828, and in 1853 
came to this state and settled at Henderson, where he resided
ever since and until his removal to St. Paul last fall.  He 
was married in 1857 to Susan S. Segers, who survives him with 
eight children, viz: Mrs. W. G. Comnick of Gaylord, E. L. 
Welch of Henderson, Mrs. Orrin Kipp, Mrs. J. H. Lyons and 
Mrs. H F. Weis, of St. Paul, and the Misses Cora, Josephine 
and Cornelia Welch.  In the early days Mr. Welch was one 
of the heaviest government contractors in the Northwest, 
being interested with such men as Col. J. L. Merriam, 
A. H. Wilder and other, and this is how he obtained the 
start in life, which enabled him later on to accumulate 
the snug fortune of which he died possessed.  In 1875 he 
established the Sibley County Bank at Henderson, of which 
he was president at the time of his death and his son 
E. L. Welch is cashier.  In 1881, with Hon. Henry Poehler 
and others, he organized the Pacific Elevator Co., which 
is doing business on this line of railroad from Minneapolis 
to Watertown.  he also founded the Bank of Gaylord, of 
which he was president.  He never desired public office, 
but in 1882 was elected state senator from this county and 
re-elected in 1886.  For twenty-five years consecutively 
he has been president of the Henderson Board of Education, 
during which time he manifested a deep interest for the 
public school and other local matters.
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