Abigail Frances Stevens

  General Notes:

She was of New Portland, Maine

^{Date: Monday, October 18, 1886 Paper: Daily Inter Ocean (Chicago, IL) Volume: XV Issue: 208 Page: 4
Mrs Rodney Welch the wife of Prof Rodney Welch of the Times staff died saturday night after a short and painful illness. Mrs Welch was born in the northern part of Maine and was the third daughter of Captain Harrison Stevens and the sister of Mrs General Lieb, Mrs N. D. Anderson, Mrs Captain Perkins, Mrs Goff and Mrs Williams of this city. Married at an early age to the professor, at the close of his college course, the young couple went to Kentucky where Mr. Welch was employed as principal at the Marysville Institue for two years. At the beginning of the war the family moved to Illinois, Mr Welch occupying the position of principal of the schools of Geneva, Blue Island and professor of chemistry at the state University at Champaign. Mrs Welch was in sympathy with her husband's educational aims and added much to his success and prosperity by her genial and gentle character and her generous appreciation of every noble endeavor. She was a women of sterling qualities, rearing her five children to useful and honorable pursuits. she was a member of the Unitarian Church and of the Philosophical society and the Saracen Club of Chicago."}

Abigail married Rodney Welch, son of John Welch and Rosalinda Straw, in 1853. (Rodney Welch was born on 19 Nov 1828 in Monmouth, Kennebec County, Maine, died on 29 May 1896 in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois and was buried on 1 Jun 1896 in Oak Woods Cemetery in Chicago, Illinois.). The cause of his death was stomach cancer.

  Marriage Notes:

Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois, Volume 2
By Newton Bateman, Paul Selby