The memorial service for John Welsh Jr. that was scheduled for Tuesday, December 4th, 2018 has been postponed to a later date due to inclement weather.

John Welsh Jr., 89 of Atkinson, NE, formerly of Winner, SD passed away on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 at the Good Samaritan Society Nursing Home in Atkinson, NE.   Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Tuesday, December 4, 2018 at 10:00AM at the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Winner. After the services there will be  a lunch served prior to burial that will follow in the Saint Boniface Cemetery near Clearfield, SD.  A visitation will be held on Monday, December 3, 2018 from 6-7PM with a Rosary beginning at 7:00PM.

John was born June 10, 1929 near Keya Paha, SD to John Welsh and Rebecca Welsh.  He attended local rural grade school and later graduated from Winner High School.  He went on to attend South Dakota State College for 1 year and returned to ranching and teaching grade school at Beaver Creek Grade School.

John was drafted into the Army in 1951 during the Korean War as were many young men.  Since John was an accomplished musician with the clarinet, he was placed in the 5th Army Band where he served for 1 ½  years in Korea being discharged in 1953 at the end of the war.

John being a man of many interests, he began developing his own line of Poll Herefords, raised and selling his own registered bulls to a wide variety of customers.

Because of his love of music, he started his own dance band called "The Rhythm Ramblers" and played for many Saturday night dances in smaller towns in the area.

With his love of music John met his wife Dorothy at Carlock where John's band played on a regular basis.  Dorothy and John were married on October 28, 1988 at Amelia, NE.  They lived on John's ranch in the Clearfield area until he retired at which time they moved to O'Neill, NE and bought their own home.

John and Dorothy were well known in Winner, SD and O'Neill, NE area, especially for playing music at nursing homes in the area and their activities in their church and community.

One of the things his Welsh cousins held as precious memories were the time spent around John and his piano at family gatherings accompanying him in singing many of the old songs.

John is finally at home and able to rest after passing on November 21, 2018.  John's wife Dorothy passed away on September 29, 2014 after an extended illness.

John is survived by his step son Dale and wife Sherry Sicheneder, step daughter Gail and husband Frank Grenier all of Chambers, NE and numerous step nieces and nephews. On the Welsh side; Joan Rudnick of Appleton, MN, Donald Welsh of Centennial, CO, Glen Welch, of California, Joan Arends of Sioux Falls, SD. As well as numerous nieces and nephews.