Margaret "Maggie" Welch
Margaret “Maggie” E. Welch, 86, of rural Lansing died Friday, June 2, 2023 at Veterans Memorial Hospital in Waukon. Funeral services were held Tuesday, June 6 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon with Fr. John Moser officiating. Burial was at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Cemetery, rural Waukon.
Memorials may be directed to Veterans Memorial Hospital in memory of Maggie. Cards/condolences may be mailed to Suzy Leiran at 2054 Lycurgus Road, Lansing, IA 52151.
Margaret Elizabeth Welch was born May 12, 1937 in La Crosse, WI, the daughter of Arthur and Margaret (O’Neill) Bakewell. She grew up in Lansing and attended Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, where she was baptized, confirmed and married. In 1955, Maggie graduated from Immaculate Conception High School as the president of her class.
October 22, 1958, she married Robert Joseph Welch and they lived on their Century Farm on Lycurgus Road, rural Lansing. Maggie did farmwork in addition to raising 10 children; later, when her kids were grown, she waitressed at The Fireplace and The Landmark. She was a longtime member at St. Mary’s Lycurgus Catholic Church before coming to St. Patrick Catholic Church in Waukon after Lycurgus closed.
Maggie kept herself busy, participating in community theater, playing softball, shooting pool, and putting down a mean game of euchre. As a sports fan, she rooted for the Chicago Cubs, Iowa Hawkeyes, and loved watching her children’s and grandchildren’s activities. She did a lot of traveling, including piling into a vehicle with friends to make the bingo circuit three or four times a week.
Many people probably saw her bevy of flowers, like purple and yellow gladiolus and lilac bushes, at her house and some would stop to ask if they could cut some to use in their wedding or other arrangements. She liked baking and brought treats to her friends when they watched “The Price is Right” in the mornings and also took treats and flowers to her many friends at the nursing homes. At home, Maggie liked watching the birds, playing her guitar, and singing to her favorite country music.
She is survived by her 10 children: Patty Valenti, Becky (Tom) Lentz, Suzy Leiran, Connie Welch, Jim Welch, Janet (Mike) Adam, Jeff Welch, Meg (Grant) Carlson, Mike Welch and Randy (Ashley) Welch; 16 grandchildren: Katie (Daniel) Ward, Matthew Valenti, Patrick and Eric (Tess) Lentz, Jared, Justin, Jason and Josh Adam, Maggie, Claire and Jack Carlson, Ruby and Lucy Welch, and Sophia, Francis and William Welch; a great-granddaughter, Maria Ward; and a sister-in-law, Ruth Bakewell.
Maggie was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Margaret “Peggy” Bakewell; her husband, Bob, in 2009; three brothers, James, Robert and David Bakewell; a sister-in-law, Virginia Bakewell; and her father- and mother-in-law, Patrick and Clara Welch.
Casketbearers were Patrick and Eric Lentz, Matt Valenti, Jared, Justin, Jason and Josh Adam, and Jack Carlson.
Online condolences may be left at www.martinfunerals.com.
