Bill Text: VA HJR855 | 2013 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Celebrating the life of Luther Everette Welch.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2013-02-21 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ855ER) [HJR855 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2013-HJR855-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Luther Everette Welch, a fourth-generation farmer who helped preserve Northumberland County's rich agricultural traditions, died on November 22, 2012; and WHEREAS, a lifelong resident of Northumberland County, Luther Welch was born on January 7, 1932, in Edwardsville and attended school in Heathsville; and WHEREAS, tending to crops and livestock on his family's farm from a young age, Luther Welch learned the value and rewards of hard work; and WHEREAS, Luther Welch grew up during the Great Depression and developed a passion for the land and the bounty it can provide to a hungry world; and WHEREAS, beginning his farming career without mechanized equipment, Luther Welch plowed his fields behind a mule and hand-shocked wheat; and WHEREAS, Luther Welch ensured the success of his farm by staying on the cutting edge of new techniques; he adopted a no-till method of farming in the 1950s and later implemented the practice on all of his lands; and WHEREAS, Luther Welch believed that the highest calling was to serve the community by tending to the land and ensuring that people had the best quality food to eat; today, his son, Alan, has followed in his footsteps as a farmer; and WHEREAS, over the years, Luther Welch amassed a large collection of farm equipment and artifacts; in 2008 he donated land and a portion of this collection to help found the Northern Neck Farm Museum at Coopers Lane; and WHEREAS, Luther Welch used the proceeds from his memoir, The Boy and the Mule, to support the museum, which named its Luther Welch Agricultural Center in his honor, allowing future generations to enjoy the history and traditions of rural Northumberland County; and WHEREAS, Luther Welch contributed to the future of the farming community as a longtime member of the Northern Neck Soil and Water Conservation District and the Northumberland County Young Farmers; and WHEREAS, Luther Welch enjoyed faith and fellowship with the community at Morattico Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon for almost 50 years; and WHEREAS, Luther Welch is survived by his beloved wife of over 60 years, Margaret; children, Marie, Sylvia, and Alan, and their families; and many other family members and friends; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby note with great sadness the loss of Luther Everette Welch, a prominent farmer and a cherished contributor to the well-being of the Northumberland County community; and, be it RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to the family of Luther Everette Welch as an expression of the General Assembly's respect for his memory. |