Jerry Welty

Jerry Welty, 62, of Palestine, IL, passed away on June 17, 2026, in Evansville, IN. He was born on September 6, 1963, in Flora, IL, and from the beginning, he was never one to make himself the subject of conversation. He didn't talk much about his own life, and he didn't need a lot of attention. He was quieter than that, more comfortable with his hands busy than with the spotlight on him.

That suited him well, because Jerry's hands could do just about anything. Cars were his specialty, especially older cars, the kind that needed patience, know-how, and somebody willing to listen closely to what wasn't running right. Jerry had that kind of mind. He could hear a problem, look things over, take his time, and usually figure out what needed to be fixed.

He spent his life as a mechanic, working in different places over the years and doing much of his work out of West Terre Haute. People knew he was the one to call when something wouldn't start, wouldn't run, or just didn't sound right. He worked on cars and small engines, and he had a way of making machines run again.

His hands were just as capable outside of the garage. When he bought a house, Jerry was able to do much of the work himself, including the wiring. He wasn't afraid of a project, and he didn't need everything explained to him twice. If something was broken, unfinished, or not working the way it should, Jerry would study it, get his hands on it, and find a way through.

That was true of the way he treated people, too. Jerry was known throughout his community as someone who would lend a hand whenever he could. If somebody needed help, he helped. If a neighbor's car needed fixed, he took a look. If someone couldn't pay, that usually didn't stop him. He would give the shirt off his back, and he often helped others for free, because that was simply how he was built.

Jerry was caring, funny, and always ready with a joke. He never met a stranger, and the people who came into his life had a way of staying there. Many of his friends had been around so long that they were no longer just friends. To him, they were family.

Some people are remembered for what they said. Jerry will be remembered for what he did. He let the work do the talking. And it said plenty.

Jerry is survived by his daughter, Faith Welty; his brothers, Joel Durbin, Leslie Durbin, Charlie Durbin, and Robert Durbin; his sister, Laura Rhodes; and a number of nieces, nephews, and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Lester Eugene Durbin and Nora Virginia (Tidwell) Durbin, and his brother, John Welty.

It was Jerry's wish to be cremated without public services. Goodwine Funeral Home in Palestine is assisting the family with arrangements.