Obit: Welsh, Stephen D. (1854 - 1934)

Contact:  Audrey Roedl

Surnames: WELSH

----Sources: The Loyal Tribune 19 April 1934

Welsh, Stephen D. (29 APR 1854 - 7 Apr 1934)

In a letter received last week from Washington by Grant Welsh, was the news that his brother Douglas Welsh died at Bellingham, Washington, April 7, 1934 of cancer of the stomach.

S. D. Welsh was born at Iron Ridge, Dodge County, Wis., April 29, 1854 and came to Clark County with his folks in 1864 when the country was all a wilderness. He worked in the logging camps and saw mills many years. About 1880 he was married to Nettie Hallcock and in 1884 moved to Brown County, Dakota, then a territory and took up a homestead. In about 1890 he moved to the State of Washington. They had four children born to them. Laude born in Loyal, Dolly born in Dakota, one born in Dakota died while an infant and Harry born in Washington. He leaves to mourn him, his faithful wife, two daughters and one son, three brothers, four sisters, and his mother who passed her 100th birthday in Oct. 1933, and many friends.

(Follow on in 4/26/1934 Loyal Tribune)

(The Bellingham Herald)

A Whatcom pioneer, who through his later years watched the development of a county he helped settle and witnessed the passing of many old-time comrade settlers, joined them in final rest Tuesday when funeral services were held for Stephen Douglas Welsh, 79, of 3002 Birchwood avenue.

Born in Iron Ridge, on April 29, 1854, of pioneer Wisconsin settlers, Stephen Welsh became a pioneer himself, settling in the Ferndale district prior to the ninties. With his wife, the former Annette Hallock, Mr. and Mrs. Welsh came West in 1889 and landed at Sehome dock November 11 with a carload of cattle. There were no roads in those days and the couple herded the cattle over the trail to Ferndale through one foot of snow.

A haystack in the William Hallock barn at Ferndale provided the first night’s rest for Welsh. Pioneers did not purchase homes in those days. They built them. So did "Doug" Welsh and after residing in the Ferndale district for seventeen years the family moved to a farm at Barrett lake, where they lived for sixteen more years before taking up the present resident on Birchwood avenue.

Old-timers will recall that Mr. Welsh was a deputy sheriff for 20 years, serving under Sheriff Will Brisbin and Andrew Williams, both now deceased.

A staunch Republican throughout his years, Mr. Welsh only recently recalled that he was nine years old when Lincoln was assassinated. He was working with his father on their farm in Iron Ridge when a messenger on horseback brought them the sad tidings.

The deceased’s mother, 101 years of age and in good health, still resides on the original homestead at Loyal, Wisconsin by preparing a dinner for forty guests.

Funeral services for Mr. Welsh were held Monday at the Harlow-Hollinsworth funeral home. Interment occurred in Woodlawn cemetery.