Dean Eugene Welch Sr.

November 4, 1929 – May 25, 2016

Funeral Service for Dean Welch Sr. 86, of Neligh, Neb. will be 10:30 a.m. Friday, June 3, 2016 at Brunswick Community Church with Pastor John Kringle officiating. Visitation will be an hour before the Funeral Service at the Church in Brunswick. Burial will be in Bartlett Cemetery at Bartlett, Neb. at 2 p.m., with a pie and ice cream social following. Dean passed away on May 25, 2016 at Antelope Memorial Hospital in Neligh. Condolences may be directed to the family at www.beyersnidermemorialfh.com.

Dean Eugene Welch Sr. was born on Nov. 4, 1929 to Elmer Edward and Dorothy Dixon (Senn) Welch in Neligh, Neb. He attended school in Bartlett, Elgin and Neligh, graduating at Neligh High School with the class of 1948. He was united in marriage to Gladys Marie Marr on June 3, 1951 at Bartlett, Neb. until her passing on March 28, 1979. He then married Sherrill Ann Clark on Sept. 17, 1979 at Gresham, Ore.

Dean grew up in northeast Nebraska living in many towns. He worked at Contois Motors in Neligh, Neb. as a mechanic and followed through with that knowledge to work for Hoff Ford in Lewiston, Idaho and became a top mechanic for them. He later taught mechanics at the Arizona Automotive Technical School in Phoenix, Ariz. He was an ordained minister with the Evangelical Methodist Church and preached in Lewiston, Idaho, Moses Lake, Wash., Cudahy, Calif. and Rockwood, Ore. He retired from there and came out of retirement to become an ordained minister with the Wesleyan Church and was a minister for them in Hermiston, Ore. and in Palmer, Neb. While in Oregon he opened an auto parts store. He loved to tinker and fix things and build. He built the Moses Lake church and remodeled many more. He was a very talented man. He was currently a member of the Brunswick Community Missionary Alliance Church, in Brunswick, Neb. While he was in Neligh, Neb., he repaired and remodeled many homes. He never really retired and was always willing to help others.

Dean is survived by his children Diane (Wayne) Thress of Madison, Neb., Linda (Dave) Hoffman of Omaha, Neb., Gloria (Doug) Dennis of Neligh, Neb. and Dean II (Sonya) Welch of Kennewick, Wash; grandchildren Marie (Scott) Young, Trisha (Sally) Gauntt, Wendy (Heath) Snodgrass, Michael (Kaidi) Thress, Cari (Mike) Hoffart, Nicholas Harder, Jeremiah (Kaylynn) Harder, Nina (Cody) Eicke, Hannah Harder, Adam (Deffanie) Hoffman, Eric (Michele) Hoffman, Doug (Kala) Dennis, Alexa Rae Dennis, Kyle Moltman, Billie Jo Moltman, Samantha Welch, Courtney Welch, Corey Welch, Aden Welch, and Kristohper Welch; 21 great-grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren; sister: Doris David of Ord, Neb.; sisters-in-law Darlene of Snohomish, Wash., Evelyn (Zauner) Young of Bakersfield, Calif. and Virginia Chamberlin of Sacramento, Calif. and son-in-law Doug Schmunck of Kennewick, Wash.

He was preceded in death by his parents, wives Gladys (1979) and Sherrrill (2015); grandson, Scotty Ray Dennis; daughter, Arlene Schmunck; sister, Delores and husband Earl David and Donna Snyder; brothers-in-law Virgil David, Richard Chamberline and Dale Zauner and stepbrother Kenneth Welch.