…I have a cousin who is also doing research and thinks the John in Tippecanoe is not ours! I discovered the find and I don't know why she thinks that! Michael was logged as John's father. I didn't put that in there either. Family and researchers had "contributor" rights…
Apologies if there are slight errors in the following; I’m not taking the time to double-check entries as it is difficult switching between census records and here.
Your (Deb’s) tree shows:
1850 John, age 23 (born c1827). Bridget, age 19 (born c1831).
1860 John, age 37 (born c1823). Bridget, age 30 (born c1830).
1870 John, age 48 (born c1822). Bridget, age 40 (born c1830).
1880 Bridget, age 48 (born c1832).
I wonder if the John and Bridget in 1850
were actually your couple?
In 1850, they were recorded living in Lafayette, Tippecanoe, Indiana census.
I wonder if
this couple was actually the 1850 couple?
1850 John, age 23 (born c1827). Bridget, age 19 (born c1831).
Bridget might have died between 1850 and 1856.
John marries Mary O’Shea in 1856.
1860 John, age 30, Mary, age 29. Living in Lafayette, Tippecanoe, Indiana.
John’s headstone states he died in 1892, age 65 (born c1827).
Obit about this John Welch and his family:
https://www.rootschat.com/links/01rqd/If the above John and Bridget/Mary were actually the folks from the 1850 census then where might we find your John and Bridget? Ireland? New York? Somewhere else?