Christian Columbus Welty (1826-1907)

WELTY, COFFMAN, POFFENBERGER, LONG, ALDERMAN, EMMERT

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/2/2017 at 21:21:41

From Nevada Representative April 17, 1907

OBITUARY

DEATH OF C. C. WELTY

Mr. C. C. Welty dropped dead early this afternoon at the of his son Supt. I. C. Welty, in this city. He was past eighty years of age had been in very poor health for some time.

From Nevada Representative April 19, 1907

OBITUARY

CHRISTIAN C. WELTY

Christian C. Welty was born near Hagerstown, Washington county, Maryland, November 21, 1826, and died at Nevada, Iowa, April 17, 1907, aged 80 years, 4 months and 27 days. He grew up in the county of his birth and was there married about about 1852 to Miss Maria Coffman, who died a number of years later, leaving three children. He was again married there on February 27, 1862, to Miss Susan Poffenberger, who died at Colo, January 15, 1906, leaving six grown children. Mr. Welty's Maryland home was on the Antietam battlefield and part of what this meant to people who lived where armies contended is illustrated by the story that he was at the time the owner of two thrashing machines, both of which were shot to pieces in the battle. They were on the rebel side of the opposing lines, and the supposition is that Rebel infantry took refuge behind them and that Union artillery were turned upon them. Mr. Welty continued to reside in that vicinity until 1870, when he came westward and settled at Oregon, Ogle county, Illinois. There he remained until 1881, when he came to Iowa, locating first at State Center. In March of the next year, however, he came to Story county and made his home at Johnson's Grove in Richland township. There he spent the remainder of his active years, retiring in 1899 to Colo, where Mrs. Welty died seven years later. Last September he made a trip back to his old home in Maryland, where his surviving sister and eldest daughter reside; but he got sick there, and his son Bert B. went down after him and brought him back about the last to November. Since that time he had made his home in turn with his sons Ira and Bert in Nevada and his son Guy in Colo. Lately he had been failing obviously; but death finally came to him very suddenly at the home of his son Ira. His son Bert was with him and he was standing by the head of his bed, when he collapsed upon Bert and was dead before he would be laid down. His death is attributed to chronic Bright's disease, complicated by asthma, and culminating in heart failure; but he was past eighty years of age, and his age was doubtless a material factor.

Mr. Welty was the father of a large family and leaves many descendants. His surviving children are Mrs. Ida C. Long of Downsville, Md., Willis S. of Britt, Iowa and Henry H. of Milledgeville, Illinois, these being the children of his first wife; also Daniel B. of Oregon, Illinois; Harvey A. Of Ruthven, Iowa; Ira C. and Bert B. of Nevada; David Guy of Colo, and Gertrude, Mrs. A. B. Alderman, of Marion. Two children, one of each wife, died young and on daughter of the second wife, Dora May, died in 1891. Of grandchildren Mr. Welty leaves 32 and of great grand children not less than four, the whole number of his living descendants being about forty-five. Mr. Welty was a man of most estimable character, bluff of speech and sincere and kind in his relations with men. He was himself a member of a large family, of whom one brother and one sister survive; the former, David Welty of Huron, South Dakota, visited him here in February; and the latter Mrs. Margaret Emmert, he visited last fall in Maryland. His family is one of notable energy and thrift and his place in the world has been one of honor.

There were brief services for Mr. Welty at the home here of his son Ira this morning; and the remains were then taken to Colo, where the funeral proper was to be conducted from the Methodist church at eleven o'clock by the pastor, Rev. Boreman. The interment will be in the Colo cemetery, where Mrs. Welty and their daughter are buried.