Hello Friends, Family, and Good Samaritans,

For those that did not know, we lost Karl Welch on Wednesday morning. He was a father, husband, brother, son, and all-around great friend. We will dearly miss his enthusiasm, playfulness, and his selflessness.

His sudden passing has unfortunately left an enormous burden upon his immediate family. His widow, Kara, is also currently battling stomach cancer while raising two very young children in addition to two other children with split custody. The financial burden of the funeral expenses, as you might imagine, is overwhelming and we plead with you that you might be willing to give what you can.

Our rough estimate for the total funeral expenses is $7,500 with the necessary items listed below:

-Enbalming

-Casket

-Transport to Illinois including airfare (Immediate family's home state)

-Vault and Gravesite Preparation

-Funeral Home Staff Expenses

We sincerely thank you for your generosity and wish you a Merry Christmas.