Wallace “Wally” Welch, 93, died Friday, Sept. 8, 2017, at Dow Rummel Village in Sioux Falls.
A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m., Friday, Sept. 15, at the First Congregational Church, 300 S. Minnesota Ave., with a reception luncheon to greet family and friends following the service. Interment will be at Calvary Cemetery in Mitchell at a later date.
Memorials may be made in Wallace’s name to the Dow Rummel Capital Campaign or Sanborn County 4-H.
Wallace Kendall Welch, son of Jay and Goldie (Burgett) Welch, was born July 4, 1924, on the family farm three and one-half miles east of Letcher. He attended Jacobus rural grade school and Letcher High School, graduating from there in 1942. Wally attended South Dakota State University on a scholarship from National 4-H and the Future Farmers of America. He later returned to the family farm.
Wallace was united in marriage to Ann Craft on Dec. 24, 1944, at First Congregational Church in Mitchell. They were blessed with a son, David, born in 1946. They continued to live on the Welch family farm until 1965, where they were active in county and state 4-H. They showed livestock at the Minnesota Fair, Sioux Empire Fair, and South Dakota State Fair every year since 1919, except in 1948, when Wally became a polio victim.
In 1959, Wally went to work for Robinson Hi Bred Seed Company, and remained active in the community as the secretary of the Sanborn County Telephone Company, and later served on the South Dakota Fair Board.
The couple moved from the family farm in 1965 to Arlington, and Wally began selling insurance for New York Life Insurance Co. in 1967, where he worked for 30 years, and also served as layman on the South Dakota Health and Educational Bonding Authority under three governors.
While in Arlington, he was a member of the Methodist Church, Commercial Club, Lake Region Golf Club, Kiwanis, Elks, and served on the City Council. In 1970, Wally and Ann built the WALL-ANN apartments for the elderly in Arlington.
The couple sold their home in 1995 and moved to Mesa, Ariz. They returned to Sioux Falls in 2004 and resided in Dow Rummel Village.
Wally enjoyed pheasant hunting, rabbit, deer and goose hunting with family and friends, and also played amateur baseball in the Pony Hills League. He was a member of First Congregational Church.
Wally is survived by his wife of nearly 73 years, Ann; a son, David (Ellen) Welch of Sioux Falls; three grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two brothers, Verlon and Donald; and two sisters, Ruby Mickelson and Lois Stenson.
Miller Funeral Home in Sioux Falls is handling the arrangements.