BIO: Charles Howard WELCH, Huntingdon County, PA Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Dave Wilson Copyright 2007. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/pa/pafiles.htm ************************************************************** __________________________________________________________ McElroy, James Thomas Jr., McElroy's Family Memories, Huntingdon, PA: (Author), 1930, page 240. __________________________________________________________ CHARLES HOWARD WELCH, M.E., A.B. Mount Union, Pa. Postmaster and Editor: Charles Howard Welch has taken a leading part in the affairs of his city; both in the private business life of the community and in its larger and more general affairs. He deserves a place of importance in such a history as this. He was born in Germany Valley, Huntingdon Co, Pa., on Nov. 9, 1880, the only child of Allen Stanley and Annie Kyper Welch. When he was two years old he was taken by his family to live in Mount Union, which since that time has been the family home. As a young man Mr. Welch was associated with the hardware business that his father had established many years before, and in this line of work was evidently successful and no doubt would have risen to great heights in it if he had not seen opportunities for work that was better adapted to his personality and his ambitions in other fields. In his boyhood he attended the Mount Union public schools, from which he graduated in 1898. In the fall of that year he entered Juniata College, where he graduated in the course of Normal English in 1901. In the autumn of 1901 he entered this same institution again for his course in arts, graduating and receiving his A.B. degree in 1905. Leaving school in 1905 he became engaged with his father in the mercantile business and also worked at the same time in the editorial department of the Mount Union Times. Newspaper publications and business activities have by no means occupied his whole attention, he being a staunch supporter of the Presbyterian church and its program for spiritual betterment. In this church's organization he has served as a Christian Endeavor and Sunday School leader in his community and county. He has been officially identified with the Sunday School work in his community and for a number of years has been a teacher of a men's Bible class. For more than fifteen years Mr. Welch has been a licensed evangelist in the Presbytery of Huntingdon and has helped not only needy churches in his own denomination, but in other denominations as well. He enjoys a good reputation as a minister throughout the Presbytery. He has been a ruling elder in the Presbyterian church for a good many years. In 1922, on January 5th of that year, he received his appointment as postmaster of Mount Union, and to this position was re-appointed on January 16th, 1926. He was appointed for his third term, receiving his commission May 10, 1930. Mr. Welch is also active in fraternal affairs, being a member of the Free and Accepted Masons, Mount Union Lodge, No. 688. He is also a member of the Harrisburg Consistory; of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rites, and other bodies. He is affiliated with the Patriotic Order Sons of America. Mr. Welch has been married twice; his first wife, whom he married on Nov. 16, 1910, was Esther Evans Fuller, of Mount Union, who was graduated from Juniata College and taught in the public schools; she was also a teacher of music; she died Dec. 23, 1911. Twin daughters were born to this union, both dying in infancy. Mr. Welch was married the second time on January 19, 1915, to Miss Clementine Compton, of Portland, Oregon. The children by this union are: Sarah Kyper Welch, Allen Compton Welch, Charles Howard Welch, Jr., and Stanley Crawford Welch. Mrs. Welch is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Compton, and was born in Conshohocton, Ohio. When she was three years of age, her parents moved to Portland, Oregon, where she spent her girlhood days and received her earlier education. Later she came east to Chicago, entered and graduated from the Moody Bible Institute, and entered into evangelistic work. She came to Mount Union at the time of the Johnston-Weaver Evangelistic party in September, 1914, as a soloist, in which capacity she is ver much accomplished. Here she met and later married Mr. Welch. The subject of this sketch, Charles Howard Welch, has endeavored to lead a life that others can consistently follow. He has never failed to assist in any worthy cause, and is ever ready to put his shoulder to the wheel. His has been a life well spent in a spiritual, moral and business way.