Welch, Charles M.

WELCH

Posted By: Karon Velau (email)
Date: 7/3/2021 at 11:48:24

History of Warren County, Iowa from Its Earliest Settlement to 1908, by Rev. W. C. Martin, Clarke Publishing Co., Chicago, Illinois, 1908, p.844

CHARLES M. WELCH
Charles M. Welch, an up-to-date farmer and stock-raiser residing on section 32, Lincoln Township, is numbered among the oldest settlers of the county, dating his residence here since 1852. He is the son of John E. and Catherine (McCless) Welch, both of whom are natives of Columbiana County, Ohio, where they were married and where our subject was born on August 26, 1847. He had one brother, Russell, who died in 1866. John E. Welch was a blacksmith by trade, which occupation he followed for a number of years. In 1852 he left his native state for Warren County, Iowa, where he acquired some two hundred acres of land. Some of it he entered from the government, and the remainder he bought. He was in all the vigor of his young manhood at that time, being thirty-eight years of age, and bent his energies in the direction of subduing the wilderness and establishing system and order out of the chaos that he encountered in this uncleared, unfenced tract of land. At the same time, he set up a blacksmith shop on his place and added to his income by doing blacksmithing for the neighbors. He made a marked success of his undertakings and when he passed away in June, 1899, it must have been with the consciousness of a life well spent. His wife died in 1881.
Charles M. Welch passed the days of his boyhood and youth under the parental roof. On January 1, 1872, he was married to Miss Mary S. Brown, a native of Mahaska County, Iowa and a daughter of George Brown, who removed with his family to Warren County. Unto this union have been born three children, namely: John E., who married Miss Augusta Fisher; G.F., a real-estate dealer in Ganado, Texas, and Nellie, the wife of W.O. Hardin, a farmer of Polk County. They have two children, Mary and Clyde.
After his marriage, Mr. Welch resided on his father’s place and carried on the work of the farm for several years. Later he bought a place adjoining this, where he located with his family and resided for a number of years. Upon the death of his mother he returned to the old homestead and took charge of the farm business. He has since made an addition to and remodeled the house, has built a good barn and improved the place until it is now one of the best appearing, best producing farms in this section of the country. In all, Mr. Welch now owns and operates two hundred and fifteen acres of land. He combines with general farming the feeding and raising of stock, finding in this a lucrative source of income, while at the same time building up his land.
Mr. Welch gives his political support to the Democracy. He cast his first vote in 1868, nor has he missed voting for any presidential candidate of his party since that time. While taking an active interest in the affairs of government he has never personally aspired to office, but by reason of the interest he has had in the public schools, he has served as school director for a number of years. Socially he is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. Mrs. Welch and the daughter, Mrs. Hardin, are members of the Baptist church.