My Genealogy Hound

John Calvin Welch, collector of Dent County, and one of the prominent citizens of Spring Creek Township, is a native of Dent County, Mo., and was born November 8, 1840. He is a son of Thomas and Eliza (Reddick) Welch, and grandson of John Welch, who was a native of North Carolina, and at an early date immigrated to Tennessee. He resided in Weakley County, Tenn., a number of years, and then came to Dent County, Mo., locating six miles west of the county seat, where he died about 1857, at the age of ninety years. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, with Gen. Jackson. Thomas Welch was born in Tennessee in 1812, was married in Weakley County, of that State, and then came to Dent County, Mo., the same year as his father. He settled on Dry Fork, six miles from Salem, where he now resides. He was the owner of 600 acres of land, but being of a benevolent disposition, has given it all to his children. He is yet living, and is one of the pioneer settlers of Dent County. When first settling there his nearest neighbor was forty miles south, and he would frequently go twenty miles to a house-raising, and twenty-five and thirty miles to mill. His wife, Eliza (Reddick) Welch, died in 1852, and after her death Mr. Welch married Mrs. Caroline Jadwin, nee Howell, daughter of Christopher Howell. Thomas Welch is the father of twelve children, seven by the first marriage and five by the second, all of whom lived to be grown: Melissa, wife of Joseph M. Howell; Joseph M. (deceased); John C., Thomas J., Eliza, wife of Jasper Plank; Jane, wife of J. S. Cooley; Phoebe E., wife of W. C. Inman; Current R., General A., James G., Josephine, wife of Samuel Skeeters, and Albert S. John C. Welch attained his growth on a farm, and made his home with his parents until the breaking out of the late war, when he cast his destinies with the South. In 1861 he enlisted in Freeman’s company, Missouri State Militia, for six months, but at the end of six months he was captured and taken to Alton, where he was retained until September, 1862. He was then exchanged, and enlisted in Company F, Ninth Missouri Infantry, as orderly-sergeant. After the fight at Pleasant Hill he was promoted to the rank of second lieutenant, and surrendered at Shreveport, La., in June, 1865. In December of the following year he married Miss Martha E. Wofford, daughter of Smith Wofford, and a native of Middle Tennessee, born in 1846. To this marriage were born seven children: James C., Thomas F., William G., Joseph M., Iona, Bertha, Walter H. After the war Mr. Welch resumed farming, and continued at this until 1886, when he was elected collector of Dent County, by a majority of 262, on the Democratic ticket. He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and his wife is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church.