Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-02-03
OBITUARY..
Death of Dr. Samuel Welch0ns

/
About noon to-day DR.. Samuel Wei
chens, surgeon dentist, died at his resi-
dence, No. 119 Moth Queen street, from
} an affection of the kidney, with which III
} had for three months past been afflicted
but which did not confine him to his bee
until one week ago. Deceased was sor
of the late Reuben Welchens, of Marietta
and passed his early boyhOod in that
borough. He came came to Lancaster and
was apprenticed to John ID. Boring, carpen.
ter, becoming a very expert workman. AT
the end of his apprenticeship he entered
Marshall college, at Mercersburg, and
remained there for two or three years, but
did not graduate. Returning to Lancas-
| ter, he commenced the study of dentistry
with the late Dr. S. p. Van Patten, then
practicin. in Kramph's building, i'll tie
rooms Immediately over Kramph's store
| (now Rathvon & Fisher 81. After the death
| of DIR. Van Patten, which took place about
1S49, DR.. Wechens continued the business
| in his own name. A few years later he
| was elected city treasurer, took rooms in
| the National hotel building, and opened a
| drug store, but continued to practice den
tistry. Giving up the drug business, he
| went to Baltimore, entered the Baltimore
cole &c OF dental surgery (the first institu-
tion OF the kind in the world }, took a
thorough course of INSTRUCTION therein, and
graduated with honor. Returning
to Lancaster, he again engaged
in the practice OF his profession,
first, we believe, in connection with DR..
Pri.g, in Kramph's building, and after
Prigg's death in West Orange street. Sub
sequently he removed to North Queen
street above Orange, thence to liowells
building, where he remained for many
years, and last spring removed to his pre-
sent location, 119 North Queen. lie had
a large practice and was regarded by his
professional brethren and the public at
large as very skillful operator, one of
his most successful branches being the adj
ministration of an;csthctics.
He was ono of the original members and
for some years president of the Harris
dental association, which now embraces
in its membership nearly all the surgeon
dentists of this county. He was dele
gate to the dental convention held i'll
Philadelphia in 1871, at which the Penn
syvania state dental association was
formed. lie was also Il few years ago
delegate to the national dental convention
that met at Niagara and st. Louis. lie
originated and for three years published
in this city the Journ"l cf Dentcl Science,
a periodical that ranked high among der
tai magazines. In many other matters
pertaining to his profession, he took ac-
tive interest and held a leading position.
DR.. Welchens was Il man of very de-
cided convictions, and he clung to them
with remarkable tenacity. In poll
ties he was a Democrat and held
the most ultra views on the ques-
tion of state rights, individual liberty and
a strict construction of the constitution
especially as to the powers of Congress
and the president. His extreme views in
politics often brought him into antagonism
with his best friends, and was perhaps |
one reason for his scvering his connection
witlA'le Reformed church and uniting
with the Presbyterian. In early lie he |
belonged to the First Reformed church,
and was an earnest worker in the erection
of the present church building. Owing |
to difference OF opinion as to the propriety |
of having the services conducted entirely
in the English language, the congregation
divided, and the friends of English ser
vices, including DIR. Wclchens withdrew
and formed the st. Paufs congregation.
Again Dr. Welchcns was found to be one
of the most earnest workers in building up
the new congregation and the house i'll
which it worships. For reasons satisfac-
tory to himself he returned to the First |
church, but some years ago severed his
connection with it and joined the Presby-
terians, and ever since his connection with
it was one OF its most devoted members.
During the late remodelng of the church
he gave much of his time and labor to the
furtherancc of the improvements. He was
an active friend of the Sunday school
cause and at one time held the Office Of su-
perintendent. He was a member of several
secret societies. having been a charter
member of Monterey lodge, |. O. of o. F.,
a member of Washington encampment,
|. O. OF O. F.. of Ee shah-kO-nee tribe,
l. o. II. NJ, and perhaps of some other
ORDERS lie was at one time a Mason, but
left the order some years ago.
DR.. Wclchcns was a man Of unlmpeach-
able morality and integrity, a good citizen
and an exceptionally alfectionate and prov
ident husband and father. At the age of
% or 30 he married Miss Lizzie Yunlt,
daughter of the late Henry Yundt: Of Blue
Ball by this union he had five children,
of whom two SONS and two daughters sur
vive him. His stricken wife and family
will receive III this hour OF afflictiOn the
ncerc coincidence of a large circle of
friends.