Ivan Alfred Welch

Ivan Alfred Welch, age 67, of Wharton passed away suddenly on Tuesday, April 3, 2018 in a Richmond hospital.  He was born on September 2, 1950 in Uvalde to the late Everett Daniel and Loyce Mae Pruitt Welch.   Ivan was raised in the Knippa area and graduated from Knippa High School. He worked in the oilfield all of his life, rising from helper to roughneck to company man in a short time. On November 7, 1992, he married Sherri Welch in Ruidoso, New Mexico. Ivan loved watching his children play all their sports. He tried very hard to attend all their games, whether it be volleyball, track, basketball or rodeos. He loved coaching his son Kipp, during his baseball years and loved watching him play football under the Friday night lights for the Boling Bulldogs. He always supported his favorite team, the University of Texas Longhorns, win or lose. He was so happy when he was at Choke Canyon checking lines with Kipp and his fishing buddies. They caught a lake record, a 52lb Blue cat, on their last fishing trip together, 2 weeks ago. He was so proud of them. He and his brothers made many fishing trips down in Mexico and had some stories to tell. He loved the hill country and the Frio and Nueces rivers outside of Uvalde, which they would camp on many times. Ivan had a tradition of dunking all 4 of his children in the Frio River at the Welch reunion every May. It didn’t matter how old they were, they got it. He even got to dunk his only grandchild, Jaxson, at his last reunion. He loved all his children and grandchild very much. They were his greatest joy in life and would do anything and everything for them. His favorite place on earth was his beloved Welch reunion in Leakey every May that has been going on almost 30 years. Ivan was a wonderful man with a huge heart that will be deeply missed by all who loved him. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his sisters: Beverly Welch and Karen Dicke; and brother: Allan Welch   Ivan is survived by his wife, Sherri Welch of Wharton, sons, Jon Welch and spouse, Scott Moon of La Marque, Kipp Welch of Wharton, and Casey Welch of Bastrop, daughter, Holly Welch of Canyon Lake, sisters, Linda Davis and husband, Marshall of Devine, Marsha Heaton and husband, Danny of Uvalde and Janna Sue Welch of Uvalde, brothers, Gordon Welch of Bandera, Larry Welch of Uvalde, Terry Welch of Uvalde and Dwayne Welch and wife, Terri of San Angelo, and his little buddy, grandson Jaxson Daniel Henson.   Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 7, 2018 at 3pm at the Chapel of Wharton Funeral Home with Mickey Reynolds officiating. Burial will follow on Sunday, April 8, 2018 at 3pm at Sabinal Cemetery in Sabinal Texas. Serving as pallbearers will be Tully Welch, Jim Welch, Rod Welch, Wesley Welch, Blake Dicke and Kyle Dicke.   Funeral Services under the direction of Wharton Funeral Home. Condolences may be left at whartonfuneralhome.com.