Elizabeth A. (Primus) Welle
1852 - 1928

Elizabeth Anna Primus was born May 9, 1852 in Repe, Helden, NorthRhein-Westphalia, Germany to John J. & Catherine (Nathe) Primus - both of whom were born in Arnsberg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.

Elizabeth, her younger sister Anna Primus, and her parents immigrated to America and first settled near Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The extended family members that made the nine week journey with the four members Primus family were her paternal grandparents; John Sr & Elizabeth Primus, and three of her uncles; Casper Primus, Joseph Primus and Anton Primus.

In 1862, when the Primus family moved from Wisconsin to central Minnesota, they settled on a farm near Meire Grove in Sections 16 & 17 of Grove Township in Stearns County, Minnesota. Elizabeth and her seven siblings were raised on this farm

Elizabeth Anna Primus married Christoph Welle on May 1, 1869 at St. John's Catholic Church in Meire Grove, Minnesota. The ceremony was witnessed by Casper Nathe and Anna Catherine Schulte.

Elizabeth and Christoph Welle farmed approximately 2 miles northwest of Spring Hill, Minn (Section 17 of Spring Hill Township).

In 1890, the couple rented out the Spring Hill farm and purchased the John J. Primus farm (Elizabeth's parents farm), located 1/2 mile east and 1/2 mile north of Meire Grove and began farming on this land. Their son, Hubert S Welle would purchase the Spring Hill farm in the years to come. Elizabeth and Christoph Welle's last child, George, was born on the Grove Township farm in 1893.

Elizabeth Primus & Christopher Welle are the parents of 10 children. All the Welle children were born on the farm in Spring Hill Township, except George.

1. Anna Welle
2. John J Welle
3. Hubert S Welle
4. Henry Welle
5. Joseph J "Joe" Welle
6. Conrad Welle
7. Mary Mehr
8. Elizabeth "Lizzie" Fuchs
9. Anton J "Tone" Welle
10. George Welle

Christoph Welle died on March 17, 1901 from stomach cancer. (Elizabeth's mother, Catherine Primus, died 5 months later - August 1901). After being a widow for 27 years, Elizabeth Welle died the morning of Wednesday, September 26, 1928 at her home in Meire Grove, Minn.

Her obituary (below) was published in the Thursday, September 27, 1928 issue of the Melrose Beacon.

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Meire Grove Lady Called by Death
Mrs Elizabeth Welle, Ailing Since Spring,
Dies Yesterday Morning - Funeral Friday.

Mrs Elizabeth Welle, an aged resident of
Meire Grove and one of the pioneer and well
respected residents of that community, passed
to the Great Beyond on Wednesday morning at
her home there. She had been ailing since
last Spring when she suffered a severe fall
on the ice. Death was due to infirmities of
old age.

The deceased was 76 years of age. Her husband,
Christ Welle, died 27 years ago. She is
survived by seven sons and two daughters, as
follows: John and Conrad of Colton, Wash.,
Hubert and Anton of Spring Hill, Henry and George
of Lastrup, Joe of Meire Grove, Mrs John Mehr
of St. Martin and Mrs Frank Fuchs of Uniontown,
Wash. All the children were home for a family
reunion four weeks ago. [August 1928]

The funeral will be held at St. John's Catholic
Church at Meire Grove Friday morning at 9:30am.

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Following the funeral mass on Friday, September 28, 1928 at St. John's Church, she was buried in St. John's Cemetery in Meire Grove, Minn.

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