Elizabeth Welsh ¹²

  General Notes:

Obituary of Mrs. Elizabeth Welsh
Elizabeth, a daughter of Peter and Jane Welsh, was born at Petersborough, Ontario, Canada, on the 27th day of August 1848 and there the earliest years of her childhood was spent. When she had reached the age of seven years her parents removed to a farm near the village of Brussels, Ontario, and here she lived and grew to young womanhood. Here, also, under the careful training of parents and teachers in the home, school and church, were laid the foundation of character, which marked her through all the years. On the 8th day of February, 1868 she was joined in marriage to Joseph Welsh, a prosperous young farmer of the community and the young couple began their residence upon a farm but a short distance from the home of her childhood and young womanhood. To this union was born seven children, and then on Dee 16, 1880 the hand of death removed the husband and father, leaving the little mother to be both father and mother to her helpless family, of little ones, the oldest of whom had just passed her twelfth birthday. In 1881, having disposed of her holdings in Canada, she brought her family to Nebraska, taking up her home with her parents, who had preceded her to this country by some seven years, for a short time, finally settling upon a farm some 14 miles northwest of this city, where enduring the privations common to pioneering, and with what help the children could render, she labored to live and raise her family. In 1891 she moved to a farm she had purchased some time previous, five miles northwest of St. Paul, and here she resided with her son, George until the time of his marriage and since then has lived with her children. Of these there are six still living: Henry, the second child having died Oct. 9, 1898, Mrs A. A. Fairbairn, Mrs. 1. G. Armstrong, Mrs. W. J. Hill, Mrs. Edward Calvin, all of this city, Mrs. A. A. Calvin of Farvell, and George A. Welsh of Ogallala. There are also living three brothers, W. J. Welsh of St Paul; Elijah of Kearney and George J. of Hastings, and two sisters, Mrs James Irvine of this city and Mrs. Sarah Arthaud of Rawlins, Wyo. Added to these there are 31 grand children end 33 great grand children, all or whom she dearly loved and all of whom will greatly miss her. And, who shall number her friends and acquaintances who through the years have felt her kindly interest and enjoyed her friendship. Two outstanding characteristics are especially worthy of mention in the summing up of her life. First, her deep and unchanging love for her children, to whom, and for whom, she gladly gave her all, and this love reached down to her children's children, yea, even to her children children's children. Second, her love and loyalty to her God, the God upon whom she had learned to lean through the hard years of struggle, and whom she had never found wanting. From early childhood she had been identified with the church and to her through all her life, God and the church were vital. In 1920 she suffered a severe illness and since then has been more or less of an invalid, though able to get about most of the time. Late on Thursday evening last, she was seriously ill and lapsed into unconsciousness at 3 o'clock Friday morning. Death came at 5 o'clock Friday evening, Dec. 21st, when she had reached the age of 78 years, 4 months and 25 days. Her body was borne to its last resting place by the loving hands of six of her grandsons to whom she was very dear. Funeral services were held in the Presbyterian Church and Interment was made in Warsaw cemetery.
Source: Newspaper clipping, provided by Cecil Holmes.

  Noted events in her life were:

• Immigration to US: Canada To Nebraska, 1881.

• lived on farm, 1881-1891, St. Paul, Howard County, Nebraska. the farm was 14 miles northwest of St. Paul

• Moved to farm, 1891, St. Paul, Howard County, Nebraska. moved to a farm 5 miles northwest of St. Paul

Elizabeth married Joseph Welsh, son of Henry Welsh and Ann Bell, on 8 Jan 1868 in Huron Co., Ontario, Canada. (Joseph Welsh was born about 1834 in Canada and died on 16 Dec 1880 in Brussels, Huron Co., Ontario, Canada.)