- Date Of Birth: November 16, 1914
- Date Of Death: February 3, 2010
- State: Arizona
Arthur Welsh, beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather and friend passed away on Feb. 3rd at the age of 95.
Art was born on the Smith Ranch just south of Merino CO on Nov. 16, 1914 to William and Ethelyn Welsh. He grew up in Greeley CO where he attended primary, secondary and high school as well as college. In 1935 he moved to Oakland CA and in May 1941 he met the love of his life, Carol Mathewson. In July 1941 he was drafted into the Army in San Francisco and was given orders for Camp Wallace in Galveston TX. Carol joined him later and they were married in June 1942. Art was assigned to the Battery C, 390th Anti Aircraft Artillery Battalion. They shipped overseas and landed on Utah Beach on July 23, 1944.
He served under General George Patton’s 3rd Army and fought in the Battle of the Bulge. When World War II ended, he and his battalion remained in Munich as Military Police. He received his orders to go home where he settled in Pleasant Hill CA with Carol and they raised three children. He worked for Standard Oil of CA (now Chevron) and was transferred to Pascagoula MS in 1963. In 1979, he and Carol retired to Flagstaff where they immediately became involved in the community through volunteering. For close to 30 years, Art volunteered at the Pioneer Museum where he conducted tours, spent more than four years compiling a 5-volume history of the building and provided countless candle dipping demonstrations to museum visitors and school groups.
He and Carol were also active volunteers with the Flagstaff City – Coconino County Public Library concentrating on books sales for Friends of the Library fund raising. Because of his passion for volunteer work and helping the community, the Office of the Mayor declared June 19, 2006 as “Art Welsh Day”. Carol preceded Art in death in 2001.
He is survived by daughter Kay (Steve) Cobb of Georgetown TX, son Steve (Lee) Welsh of Flagstaff, daughter Nora Welsh (Steve DiBitetto) of Glendale, four grandchildren – Beth Cobb of Austin TX, Matt (Katie) Welsh of Cottonwood, Quin (Sarah) Welsh of Whitby Island WA and Erin (Craig) Rouse-Shott of Benson – as well as four great grandchildren.
