Robert "Bob" Lee Welch

Robert “Bob” Lee Welch
Robert “Bob” Lee Welch

Welch, Robert “Bob” Lee, 94, of Marysville, KS died June 1, 2022 at Country Place Senior Living in Marysville. 

A Rosary Service will be Monday, June 13th beginning at 6:30 pm at St Gregory Catholic Church, Marysville.  

Mass of Christian Burial will be Tuesday, June 14th at 10:30 am at St Gregory Catholic Church. Grave site services will occur at Marysville Catholic Cemetery followed by a reception at St Gregory Church Hall for those in attendance.

Bob was born in Central City, Nebraska to Ernest Paul and Catherine Josephine (Marsolek) Welch on October 16,1927 and graduated from Crete High School in 1945. Bob started college at Doane College in Crete, Nebraska and in September 1946 he enlisted in the Army, was trained and sent to Korea. Following this assignment, he returned from Korea and received an Honorable Discharge in March of 1948. Bob would spend the next several years continuing his education with some concentration in Accounting and earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Studies from Doane College in 1952. 

Bob married his Crete High School sweetheart, Dorothy Vlasin in July 1948. Their first child, Michael was born in 1951 and following Bob’s graduation they moved to Omaha where their second child, Susan was born in 1955. Bob was employed by the Omaha Athletic Club as Bookkeeper / Accountant.

Bob moved his growing family to Marysville in 1956 to operate the Pacific Hotel Coffee Shop. Bob and Dottie worked as a team to renovate the restaurant and re-establish operations. With great food, quality service and regular entertainment by Bob playing the organ, they quickly became friends with everyone in the Marysville community. But the hard work of running a restaurant and the birth of his 3rd child David in 1959, motivated Bob to change his career to insurance. Beginning as a salesman for Prudential he then acquired the Ready Insurance Agency in 1965. Over the next almost 25 years, Bob bought or merged with various independent insurance agencies until he retired in 1989 from the Houtz-Welch-Adrian Agency.

While insurance may have been his business platform, he was always delighted to share his great musical talent. His original band “The Beachcombers” became the Bob Welch Trio, the preferred dance band in a wide region in and around Marysville. With a limit of 50 dance-band engagements a year, their popularity assured that they never needed to advertise their availability. But that didn’t keep Bob from playing individually for every wedding, anniversary, birthday, funeral, theater production, or special event requests. He was the regular organist for St Gregory Catholic Church for more than 55 years.

Bob was actively engaged in the community and economic development of Marysville having served and led organizations fostering change and improvement. This included various executive positions such as President of Marysville Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club, Marysville Country Club, Past Commander of American Legion Post 163, 4th Degree and Past Grand Knight for Knights of Columbus, Chair and Board Member for Community Memorial Hospital and the Memorial Healthcare Foundation, Regional Representative of the American Red Cross and committee member / leader for economic development groups and building committees. Most recently, he was a Board Director for the latest re-construction of the St Gregory Catholic Church. His focus was to serve others.

Bob was preceded in death by his wife, Dorothy “Dottie” (Vlasin) Welch; sister, Jean Marie Kenny; and youngest son, David Lee Welch. 

Survivors include son, Michael (Anita) Welch; daughter Susan Welch; daughter-in-law, Kelly Welch; grandchildren, Keith, Kate, Eric, Shawn, Dan, and Kyle. Great-grandchildren number 6 with one on the way.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: Marshall County Arts Council, Marysville Union Pacific Depot Preservation Society, or the Marysville Community Foundation.

Funeral services are provided by Bob’s grandson, Dan Welch in partnership with Chaput-Buoy Funeral Home, Concordia, Kansas.  For online condolences please visit www.chaputbuoy.com.