Welsh, William R. 1911-1991

WELSH, FYFE, POTTS, COLEMAN, MADDUX, GORDON, SWAILS, BURRITT, STARRY, BEYER, DENEVE, KIMBALL

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes
Date: 12/21/2013 at 10:53:10

The Grinnell (IA) Herald-Register
May 9, 1991

WILLIAM WELSH

William R. Welsh, 79, died Saturday, May 4, at St. Francis Manor.

Funeral services were held Tuesday morning, May 7, at the First Baptist Church with the Rev. Cliff Bevins, pastor of the church, officiating. Organist was Kathy Lynch and pallbearers were William R. "Skip" Welsh IV, Andrew W. Maddux, David DeNeve, Lynn DeNeve, Richard DeNeve and Russell Andrews. Honorary bearers were Steve Bakke, Ed Bengfort, Charles M. Manly, James H. Miller, Willard Robison, Roger W. Sunleaf, Harold Wiedow and James M. White. Burial was in Hazelwood Cemetery. A wake service was conducted by the Rev. Eugene Hoenig, pastor of St. Bridget's Catholic Church, Victor, at Smith Funeral Home Monday evening. Memorials may be made to St. Francis Manor or sent to Smith Funeral Home.

The son of the Rev. William R. and Catherine Fyfe Welsh, he was born Sept. 22, 1911, at Brownsdale, Minn. The family moved to Denison where he graduated from Denison High School with the class of 1929 and later attended Grinnell College.

He was married on April 17, 1937, to Garland "Gar" Potts in Grinnell and the couple lived here while he was a member of the Grinnell Police Department. He also operated Bill's Place on Main Street in Grinnell and was the manager of the Grinnell Country Club.

In 1952 he was elected sheriff of Poweshiek County, serving until 1964. He was director of the Iowa State Sheriff's Association and before retiring served as legal investigator for area law firms.

Following the death of his first wife, he was married to Della C. Coleman Dec. 5, 1980, in Victor.

He was a member of the Lafayette Masonic Lodge in Montezuma.

Survivors include his wife Della Welsh, Grinnell; two daughters Linda S. Maddux, Ames, and Deborah A. Gordon, Clear Lake; one son William R. Welsh III, Nebraska City, Neb.; four stepdaughters Shirley Swails, Cedar Rapids, Sandra Burritt, Upland, Neb.; Mary Starry, Cedar Rapids, and Linda Beyer, Grinnell; three stepsons, Richard DeNeve and Edward DeNeve, Victor, and Lee Kimball, Cedar Rapids; seven grandchildren; 19 step grandchildren and eight step great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Gar, and two sisters Mary and Marian Welsh.