Randy Michael Welch 1957 - 2009

WELCH, BELL, MERRILL

Posted By: Connie Swearingen (email)
Date: 11/26/2020 at 11:32:52

Sioux City Journal
30 May 2009

Randy M. Welch

SIOUX CITY - A cloudy, rainy Friday brought downpours of more than just precipitation in Norwood, Colo, on May 22. Tears were streaming when we found we had lost another good friend and neighbor, Randy Michael Welch, also known as "Rotten Randy," "RanDell," or simply "Dad." Though he was far from anything close to rotten, somehow the name was coined. Perhaps it reflected an ironic opposite: a kind, funny man who was always laughing and being generous and kind to others.

Though it seemed Randy was Colorado bred and raised, he was actually born April 13, 1957 in Sioux City, Iowa to Evelyn (Bell) and William Alfred Welch. Randy attended Riverside High School, where he first met his wife Kerry Merrill. Though Kerry didn't take a shine to Randy at first, he rapidly grew on her, and they became partners when her first son Shawn was one-and-a-half years old. They married Nov. 2, 1987, when their second son Billy was three months old.

Randy was always an avid cycle fan, enjoying motorcycles and stock cars and spending time with his brothers, who raced.

Before moving west in search of a new career, Randy worked at stockyards and the IBP meat-packing plant in Sioux City. Randy and Kerry left Iowa in 1981 and moved to Grand Junction, Colo, during the oil shell boom. He worked for a truss building company and shortly thereafter, the Welches moved to Norwood, after Randy had secured a position with Telluride Gravel, where he worked with his brother-in-law Fred Smith. He then did seasonal work for the Town of Telluride until he was hired on fulltime in 1989 as a heavy equipment operator. He liked his job and worked there until 2007, when his big heart gave him trouble, he became disabled and he couldn't work any longer.

Many people will remember Randy's beaming smile behind a full face of black beard as he drove the tractors and bulldozers; he was a standard on the streets of Telluride for many years.

Randy enjoyed fishing and hunting, he was an avid turkey hunter, and when he wasn't riding his motorcycle, most of the time he could not be found, because he was at one of his sacred "honey holes," private campsites where he was very successful making a good catch. He hunted all year long, with friends and relatives. "He was with the boys," said Kerry. "It didn't matter whether it was his boys or other boys."

Randy leaves behind many family members who cherished him greatly including his wife, Kerry; sons, Shawn and Billy; his mother, Evelyn Marsh of Sioux City; brothers, Bill Welch and wife Jody of Sioux City, Doug Welch and wife Patti of McCook, S. D., Terry Welch of Sioux City and Rod Welch of Jefferson, S. D.; brother and sister-in-law, Fred and Kathy Smith of Norwood; parents-in-laws, Delores and William Clark Merrill of Sioux City; siblings-in-law, Wayne and Rita Merrill Sioux City, Roger and Yvonne Merrill of South Dakota, and Dan and Lori Merrill of Salix, Iowa; close nephew, Nolan Merrill; and numerous other nieces and nephews.

Randy was preceded in death by his sister, Deanna; and his father.

In addition to his relatives, his large adopted family made up of his many close friends will miss him greatly.

We will always remember Randy, smiling, laughing, conversing, telling jokes. He was ever the man in black who loved his family greatly, boasting of his wife "the Governor" and raving about his children for hours at a time.

The only unfortunate thing about Randy was his big heart which began to fail him, and by the time he went, what strength he had left in that heart just wasn't enough for him to continue his happy life. Randy made the choice to go and be remembered proudly the way he was, and that is how we will honor him. Yes, the loud noises coming from the West End of Main Street will be missed, but we will cherish "Rotten" Randy Welch - not rotten at all -forever.

Randy's family would like to give special thanks to the ladies at Alpine Home Hospice. Also, an account has been set up in Randy's name at American National Bank in Telluride, in lieu of flowers. A funeral service will not be held, but instead, according to Randy's wishes, the family will host a celebration to take place in upcoming weeks.