James Welsh

MORTON - James "Jim" P. Welsh, 90, of Morton, passed away Sunday, April 26, 2020, at OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria.
He was born on July 3, 1929, in Goodland, Ind., to Robert and Mary (Buwa) Welsh. He married Carolyn Lee Volk on November 19, 1955, in Peoria.
Surviving are his wife, Carolyn Welsh of Morton; four children, Robert Welsh of Tuscon, Ariz., Michael (Joy) Welsh of Morton, Susan (Dennis) Drent of Yorba Linda, Calif., and David (Kathy) Welsh of Valley Center, Calif.; 11 grandchildren; and 23 great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by one son, Daniel Welsh, one granddaughter, Carolyn Lee Drent, one brother and two sisters.
Jim was an Army veteran having served during the Korean War.
He graduated from Purdue University in 1951, with a degree in mechanical engineering. Jim worked for Caterpillar Inc. 30 years, retiring in 1985 as a design engineer. After retirement, he started and operated Handee Home Improvements in Morton for several years. He also owned a company called Cap'n Jim Boat Tours on Table Rock Lake in Branson, Mo. for six years.
He was a member of Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Morton. Jim coached both the 7th and 8th boys' basketball teams for the Blessed Sacrament Tars.

Cremation rites have been accorded. A Memorial Mass will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, August 21, 2020, at Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church in Morton, with Msgr. Gerald Ward officiating. Social distancing guidelines will be observed during the visitation and funeral service and masks are required.  Burial of cremated remains will be in Hillcrest Memory Gardens in Morton.

The family requests that donations be made to support the Daniel E. Welsh Memorial Scholarship Fund at Rush University Medical Center. Please send memorial gifts to Rush University Medical Center, 1201 W. Harrison St., Ste. 300, Chicago, IL 60607-3319 or visit http://rush.convio.net/JWelsh.

Jim’s Memorial Mass will be live streamed via the Knapp-Johnson Funeral Home Facebook Profile at 11 a.m. on Friday, August 21, 2020 at https://www.facebook.com/knappjohnsonfuneralhome