Herman Lester Welch, my father (daddy) a man of quite strength, dignity, hard working, honest, and trustworthy. The best way I know to describe my dad is to tell you who his pall bearers were at his funeral. He had quite a diverse group of men who all knew him and loved him. There was a judge, a public official, a family friend, a man who dug ditches for a living, an elder in our church and a man who had just been released from prison. All of these men knew and loved my dad, he was an avid reader and would devour everything he could get to read. He was self taught as he had a 4th grade education. He never said anything unless he meant it. He did not gossip and he worked hard to raise 7 kids on his salary and education. He put up with no "bull" and yet he had a sense of humor that I failed to appreciate until he was gone.