James P. Welch

WELCH, MONROE

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler (email)
Date: 5/29/2006 at 17:16:36

Earlham Library Obituary Collection
2001

James P. Welch, 88, of Earlham died Sept. 23, 2001, at Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines.

Funeral services were held Tuesday, Sept. 25, at the Earlham United Methodist Church with the Rev. Alberta Ervin officiating. Burial was at Earlham Cemetery.

James Welch was born Jan. 13, 1913, to Mamie Laughery Welch of Ipswich, S.D. He lived and attended school in Redfield and began working at Hunter Motor Company in Earlham in 1934. He married Jo Monroe in 1940. In 1939, he started an Earlham Boy Scout troop, remaining active and receiving the Silver Beaver Award in 1959. He was the voice of the Earlham Cardinals--announcing football, basketball and baseball games. He was a member of the Earlham Volunteer Fire Department, Earlham Lions Club, Four Bums and Earlham United Methodist Church where he taught Sunday school. He also had served as president of the Earlham School Board and served on the Older Iowans Legislature. James had been the Madison County Covered Bridge Festival parade marshal and he and his wife were the 1999 king and queen of the Earlham Freedom Fest celebration.

He is survived by his wife, Jo, of Earlham; a daughter, Susan Welch of Boone; a son, James Welch, Jr. (wife JoAnn) of Waterloo; and two grandsons.