Charles William Welman
Prominent among the citizens of Sullivan, Indiana, is Charles William Welman, an attorney-at-law and real estate dealer. He is a native of Crawford County, Indiana, where he was born September 18, 1858, his parents being John and Martha J. (Chamberlain) Welman. John Welman was born in Orange County, Indiana, January 19, 1826, and now resides in the town of Fort Branch, Gibson County. The paternal grandfather was born in Kentucky in 1801, and the paternal great-grandfather, Samuel Welman, was born about 1760 in Maryland, and went to Kentucky about 1790. In 1819 he and his family moved to Harrison County, Indiana. He resided in Harrison, Crawford and Orange Counties until his death, which occurred about 1850. The grandfather, Samuel Cignor Welman, moved to Gibson County, Indiana, in 1863, and died there in 1870. The Welman's were all farmer. John Welman, the father of Charles W., now lives retired at Fort Branch, Indiana. He is a Democrat and a regular Baptist. Martha J. (Chamberlain) Welman, the mother, was born in Louisville, Kentucky, November 24, 1830, and died December 7, 1905. Her mother died of the cholera in 1837, at about the same time that her father was drowned in the waters of the Mississippi River as he was on his way with a shipload of pork. Mrs. Welman then crossed the Ohio River and was reared by her grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Elias Hedden, of southern Indiana, with whom she lived until her marriage, at the age of eighteen years. Although she had few educational opportunities, yet she became a well-posted and cultured woman. By her marriage to Mr. Welman ten children were born, five of whom died in infancy, and the others were as follows:
Samuel B., residing in Evansville, was born in 1850 and has been a railway contractor many years.
Mary E., widow of Charles Ripley, formerly of Chicago.
Susan, who died in 1895, married Thomas W. Redman.
Charles W., of this memoir.
Joel H., who died in 1875.
Charles W. Welman was born on his father's farm in Crawford County. The father moved to Fort Branch, Gibson County, when the son was about five years of age. The son's early education was received at the public schools, and later, in 1879-1880, he attended the College at Valparaiso. he was a teacher in the public schools of Gibson and Vanderburg Counties a number of years. In 1888 Mr. Welman went to Sullivan and was editor and manager of the Sullivan Times until 1896. In 1891 he was elected County Superintendent of Schools of Sullivan County, serving four years and three months. he was admitted to the bar in 1897 and has been an expert accountant in Kansas, Iowa, Minnesota and Indiana at various times and in various counties. in the meantime he practices law an deals in realty. In 1905, Mr. Welman platted forty-eight acres of land, the same being recorded and now known as "Welman's First Addition to Sullivan." It lies adjoining the corporation of Sullivan on the north. On this addition Mr. Welman has erected a beautiful and modern residence. He also platted fifty acres to the north of the first addition, and this is known as "Highland Park."
Politically Mr. Welman is a Democrat of no uncertain type. He was nominated on this ticket in 1894 for Clerk of the Supreme Court of Indiana, but was defeated. Again, he was defeated for County Treasurer in a field of five candidates by only thirty-nine votes. In 1902, 1906 and 1908 he was a candidate for Congress, but was not nominated in either campaign. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having been identified with that order since 1889, and belongs to the Blue Lodge and Chapter. He is also a member of the Elks, Eagles and Knights of Pythias, all of Sullivan.
Mr. Welman was united in marriage in 1884 to Frances R. McCleary, a native of Gibson County, Indiana, who was born in 1868. This union resulted in the birth of one son, Victor A., born in December, 1884. He was graduated in the scientific, classic and law courses at Valparaiso, and is located in Seattle, Washington. For his second wife Mr. Welman married in 1903 Miss Nelle Farley, a native of Sullivan, Indiana, and by this union two children were born, Agnes, born March 20, 1905, and Charles Warren, born January 27, 1907.
Source: A History of Sullivan County, Indiana. Closing of the first century’s history of the county and showing the growth of its people, institutions, industries and wealth. Thomas J. Wolfe, Editor. The Lewis Publishing Company, 1909, page 288-289.