Welu remembered fondly by those who knew him
The small town of Milroy — and most of the surrounding area — continue to mourn the abrupt loss of community pillar Melvin Welu, who during his life wore numerous hats, many in the spirit of helping others.
Welu died Wednesday, July 16, at the age of 61 after becoming entrapped in a grain bin, and his loss has been felt by many, inside and outside of Milroy.
Friend Donny Schmidt of Milroy called Welu one of the most generous and kindhearted people he ever came across.
“He would do anything for anybody,” Schmidt said. “He did so much behind the scenes to help families and individuals that people never even knew about. He was willing to volunteer at church and the community, he loved the school. He was a pillar of the community.”
Schmidt added that Welu was loved and respected by everyone who knew him.
Welu was an active member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Milroy, where he served many roles, including usher and CCD principal. Professionally, he represented the third of three generations on the family farm and owned Welu Construction.
Mike Schmitt, the former mayor of Milroy, remembers Welu as one of the more garrulous people he’s ever met.
“He was a very, very friendly, talkative guy,” said Schmitt. “You didn’t live in Milroy and not know Melvin. He would go up and talk to anybody, and if you wanted to know anything about Milroy, he was the one to talk to.” As an example of Welu’s outgoing personality, Schmitt recalls the time when his family first moved to Milroy more than 30 years ago.
WELU
“We were just getting to know the people, and I remember Melvin coming up — ‘Hey, you bought the old Kramer house, didn’t you?’ He was that type of guy. He didn’t even know me yet. I’ll never forget that.”
Bob Dolan, who was a first cousin to Welu, said no matter where you were — at church, at a ballgame or somewhere else in the area, there was a good chance you would run into him.
“He was everywhere, and he was all Mlroy,” Dolan said. “He loved the community and he had a heart of gold.”
Welu built Dolan’s current house and joked that he could only work in cool weather, otherwise he might charge more for his labor.
“He did not like heat — it had to be cool weather or else the costs are gonna go up three-fold!” Dolan said. “But he was a great guy. He walked the earth like Jesus — just a very caring kind of guy. I’ve never met somebody so caring about his church and community. He absolutely loved Milroy. Just a great character and he will be sorely missed.”
Dolan said Welu has likely visited 90% of the farm places around Milroy to work on everything from sheds to the remodeling of someone’s home.
“He’d go out and do some estimating on Sundays,” Dolan said. “Everyone he touched, it’s unbelievable. He was not afraid to talk to anybody. There’s no one like Melvin.”
Welu was laid to rest Wednesday. His obituary can be found on Page 11 of this week’s paper.
