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By all accounts, Don Welge made a huge impact on Perry County.
As the longtime head of Chester-based Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation who helped turn a family-owned Illinois flour milling business into a international private label food production, Welge’s legacy as a successful businessman would already outshine that of many of his contemporaries.
But according to those who knew him, his success was about more than just business acumen.
“He was very well-respected,” said Frank Robinson, CEO of Robinson Construction in Perryville. “He did a lot for a lot of people. The thing that he really had was good relationships with his supplier and customers.”
Robinson, who also turned a small family business into a multimillion-dollar enterprise, called Welge a “good friend” who was known for his honesty.
“His word was always good,” Robinson said, “and everyone knew he would do exactly what he said.”
Welge died at a Missouri hospital last Thursday from complications of COVID-19. He was 84.
The Gilster-Mary Lee Corporation confirmed his death in a social media post last week.
“It is with great sadness that we must advise you of the passing earlier today of Don Welge after a short illness,” the post reads. “Those who knew him certainly understood his love of the food industry, the company he helped build, and the relationships with customers, suppliers, fellow employees, and other business associates he established over his 60 plus years in the industry.”
Welge had been airlifted to Missouri Baptist Medical Center in St. Louis several weeks ago as his condition deteriorated and had been on a ventilator for some time.
Born on July 11, 1935, in St. Louis, Welge was the son of the late William H. and Rudelle F. Welge, and the great-nephew of the Gilster Milling Company’s original founders. After serving in the U.S. Army and earning a degree in Agriculture Economics from Louisiana State University, Welge joined the company in 1957.
Putting his education to the test, Welge discovered changes were happening with the flour and milling industry. The use of baking flour was on the decline in many homes across the country, and most of the flour sold was being put into baking mixes. Based on Welge’s observances and business sense, the company entered the cake mix business in 1958 under its own labels — Gilster’s Best and Sauer’s Infallible — before making the switch to private label — or store brand — mixes.
In the 1970s, a merger with Mary Lee Packaging — which had been founded not long before just across the Mississippi River in Perryville — led to the formation of Gilster-Mary Lee. Since then, the company has expanded to include the creation and packaging of cake mixes and other baking ingredients such as ready-to-spread frosting and pancake mixes. The company also produces items such as sugar-added drink mixes, macaroni and cheese dinners, pasta, hot cocoa mixes, microwave popcorn, and ready-to-eat breakfast cereals.
Today, Gilster-Mary Lee has approximately 3,000 employees working in 14 different manufacturing facilities in 4 states, along with a fleet of trucks that deliver products across the U.S. and Canada.
In addition to his duties at Gilster, Welge was also a member of the Chamber of Commerce in Chester; Steeleville, Ill.; and Perryville and was also a director of the Buena Vista National Bank.
Paul Gard, president of the Perryville Development Corporation, called Welge “a prince of a guy,” whose contributions to the local economy were easy to see but hard to measure.
“When he decided he wanted to move over into Perryville, he came to the Perryville Development Corporation and asked them for some assistance,” Gard said. “We purchased some stock in his company and that allowed him the funding to get started over here. The appreciation of that value over time allowed the Perryville Development Corporation to borrow money, purchase additional properties and make other investments in the community.”
Gard said Welge always had an eye on the future.
“He was always a pleasure to talk to, always optimistic and always looking forward,” Gard said.
Welge was more than a businessman. He was a member of St. John Lutheran Church in Chester and was passionate in his support of the Boy Scouts, even serving as a council president, and was an adviser for the School of Business at Southern Illinois University of Carbondale and Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau.
Former Perryville mayor Debbie Gahan worked closely with Welge when Gilster-Mary Lee built their warehouse and truck facility in Perryville, and called him a “strong negotiator who knew exactly what he wanted.” Her personal ties brought her much closer.
“I had a personal friendship with Don,” Gahan said. “His cousin, Olga Gilster, introduced my parents at the University of Illinois, and from that, down the years, they were married and I was born. I liked to kid Don that that made me, in a way, a product of Gilster-Mary Lee.”
Welge is survived by his wife, Mary Alice Welge, whom he married in 1962, along with two sons, Robert (Paige) Welge and Thomas (Tracy) Welge; one brother, Mike (Betty) Welge; and a sister-in-law, Julia Saak, all of Chester. He had four grandchildren — Austin, Lauren, Jackson and William Welge — along with many nieces, nephews and cousins.
“Don loved his family, and he also loved his business, employees, customers, suppliers, and last but not least, he loved LSU football,” Robinson said. “He would get very excited, interesting, and funny when talking about football. Throughout his business life, he faced many challenges, but always came out on top.”
Perryville Mayor Ken Baer said Welge would be missed.
“He was certainly an icon of the city,” Baer said. “He goes back many, many years. We all loved him and we’re going to miss him tremendously. He was an important part of Perryville, southern Illinois and the entire southeast Missouri region.”
A memorial service in Don’s memory will be held at a later date at St. John Lutheran Church in Chester. A private graveside service will be held at Evergreen Cemetery in Chester.
