Welton Alm Memorial Scholarship

Welton Alm was born near Nelsonville and graduated from Amherst High School in 1933. In 1936 he married Aileen Johnson whose family lived on the neighboring farm. Alm graduated from Central State College (now UWSP) and initially taught in rural elementary schools.

Later, he taught at Amherst High teaching English, history, geography, and math, coached baseball and junior varsity basketball and was the assistant principal. Alm was a large man both in size and stature. He required and received respect from the male students who felt their agenda was more important than that of the school. When a student decided to skip school, he would find where they were and bring them back to school and deliver the discipline required.

He was an avid sportsman who loved to hunt and fish, and in the classroom his students could persuade him to tell a few stories about his adventures. In 1949, he established a game farm near Nelsonville now known as the Lake Elaine Game Farm. The game farm is still an area family business owned by Alm’s granddaughter, Carrie Wierzba, and her family. Alm retired from teaching in 1960 to concentrate on the businesses he had established.

Alm died prematurely in 1968 at the age of 53. He was a descendant of some of the early settlers in the area. Mr. and Mrs. Alm were the parents of two daughters—Patricia (Alm) Raddatz-Hagen (AHS class of 1961) and Jane Alm (AHS class of 1964). Alm was an industrious business person, educator, and community leader. Terry Anderson fondly remembers growing up with Alm in Nelsonville. Alm was his Sunday School religious teacher, employer at both the game farm and boys camp, and high school teacher and athletic coach.