Welder Family

The Welder family has been gone from Henry County for quite a few years, but some descendants live near, and requests for information are received by the Historical Society about the Welder families that settled early in the history of Henry County.

Marriages of Henry County lists the following Welder marriages. John Welder married Catharine Miley on July 11, 1867. Jeremiah Welder married Elizabeth Shoemaker, on April 14, 1875. George Welder married Catharine Swann on October 3, 1866.

Joseph Welder was born in Armstrong County, Pennsylvania, in 1845. He was a member of Company C., 6th U.S. Cavalry during the Civil War. He and his wife, Alice A., had twins, Jenny and Mary Alice, born on April 5, 1875, in Henry County, Ohio.

George and Catharine Welder were married in Ashland County, Ohio. They were natives of Berks County, Pennsylvania, and returned to Pennsylvania after their marriage. In 1852 they settled in Ridgeville Township, Henry County, Ohio. They had at least six children: George, Margaret or Polly, John, Martha A., Mary, and Joseph.

John Welder was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania. He married Margaret Weaver, in Henry County, Ohio, on July 20, 1861. John died on March 5, 1887 at the age of sixty eight years. He was a blacksmith for many years in Napoleon Township.

Another John Welder is buried at Union Chapel Cemetery, Napoleon Township. His gravestone gives his birth as May 20, 1825 and his death as October 23, 1858.

Jepe Welder, an infant, died on February 7, 1888, in Henry County, but his parents names are not listed on the death record.

Martha A. Welder married John Durham and their history is in this volume.

Margaret Welder, or Polly, was born in Ashland County, Ohio. She married twice. Her first marriage was to Isaac Thompson on July 5, 1855, in Henry County, Ohio. Isaac was born in 1832, in Bangor, Maine. He enlisted in the 12th Ohio Cavalry in 1862, and was a prisoner at Richmond, wounded and died on April 14, 1865. Polly and Isaac Thompson had four children: R.A., M.J., L.C. and Ida E.

Polly's second marriage was to Squire William Abbs, Ridgeville, Henry County, Ohio. William was born in 1837 in Cambridgeshire, England, a son of Adna and Elizabeth Wilson Abbs. He emigrated to Saratoga, New York, in 1851, with his parents. Adna died there in 1871 leaving a widow and eight children.

William Abbs enlisted in the 13th New York Marine Artillery, Company F., and served during the Civil War. In 1866, he settled in Ridgeville and Polly and William were married there on December 20, 1866. They had two children: Elizabeth Ann and Charles Abbs. Charles died in 1875 as an infant and is buried in Union Chapel Cemetery, Napoleon Township.