James (Jim) Eugene Welsh

James (Jim) Welsh, age 87, of Lawrence, Kansas died on July 24, 2016 at the Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Lawrence, Kansas James Eugene Welsh was born February 13, 1929 on a farm northeast of Mont Ida to Amos and Hazel (Hitchcock) Welsh. A brother Robert Amos and a sister Holly Charlene were born also to this union. James attended and graduated from the Chase Mound Grade School. He started high school at Welda Rural High School in 1944. He liked football and played as a running back. That was interrupted when at age 17 he contracted the Polio Virus spending some time in an iron lung. He returned back to high school and graduated with the class of 1949. In his early years he worked in the theaters in Iola, Kansas. he returned to Garnett and worked for the Church Furniture Factory. He met Elsie Lou Crick and they were united in marriage in 1958. To this union a son Michael James Welsh was born. Elsie died in 1987. James worked at the Reuter Organ Company in Lawrence and lived there for some time before moving back to Richmond , Kansas in 1969. He drove back to Lawrence each day to work until he retired. In James’ later days he drove for the Amish families in Anderson County and took them to many places across the country enjoying the traveling and their company. He moved back to Lawrence in 2004 and was a companion to Joan Knight. James was baptized in the Baptist Church and the Later Day Saints church in Iola, Kansas. He as preceded in death by his wife Elsie, his parents Amos and Hazel Welsh and brother Robert Welsh. Survivors are a son Michael James Welsh of Richmond, Kansas, a sister Holly Charlene Durst of Independence, Kansas, his companion Joan Knight and many cousins, nieces and nephews. Burial and graveside services will be at Richmond Cemetery with Pastor Ann Loewe officiating and Hillary Farmer as soloist on August 6, 2016 at 10 am. Please sign this guestbook at Obituaries. LJWorld.com.