Joyce Ann Welch (1939-2021)

WELCH, KLOPPENBURG, BOPP

Posted By: Ken Wright (email)
Date: 5/28/2021 at 21:49:15

Joyce Ann Welch, age 82, of rural Bellevue, IA, passed away Sunday, May 23th, at Mill Valley Care Center in Bellevue, IA. Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. Wednesday, May 26th, at the Law Jones Funeral Home in Preston, IA. Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Tuesday, May 25th, at the funeral home, as well as one hour prior to the service. Memorials may be made in Joyce’s name to the University of Iowa Hospital and Clinics and St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital.

Joyce was born February 28th, 1939, daughter of Henry and Alta (Kloppenburg) Bopp. She grew up on her parent’s farm on the banks of the Wapsi River. She attended DeWitt High School with the class of 1957. After High School Joyce married Dennis Cummings. Together they raised four children and celebrated 28 years of marriage. After parting ways with Dennis, Joyce married Vernon Welch. The couple lived in Sabula for a time, but soon settled on their farm in between Preston and Bellevue. Together they celebrated 35 years of marriage.

Joyce grew up hunting and fishing, and she was a master of both. She hunted Turkey, Deer, Geese, and Ducks. Joyce was such a good shot, she once caught six geese with a single shot while on a boating and hunting trip with Vern. Joyce had great patience, which made her an excellent hunter.

Joyce loved animals. Growing up she was very fond of Horses. As she got older she would treat her cows, geese, and ducks as pets, giving each of them a name. She always had a favorite though, like Sugar, her favorite cow. Joyce raised one of her female geese practically from birth. Even as it grew up it would always come by the house and sit on her lap. Eventually Joyce’s goose had a litter of goslings of her own. The first thing the goose did was bring them by Joyce’s house and parade them around for Joyce to see, almost saying “Hey, look what I did!” Joyce also loved dogs, especially her current dog Brownie. Brownie was as smart as she was loyal, and on an occasion or two would warn the family if Joyce was in trouble.

In her later years Joyce would spend her time playing cards and dominos. Every visit from family and friends had to include a game of euchre or cribbage. Joyce also kept a well-tended garden of vegetables and flower beds. She loved all different types of plants, except weeds of course. If anyone offered a flower bulb she took it.

For the last 18 years of Joyce’s life she courageously dealt with lasting effects of a severe stroke which paralyzed half of her body. Joyce was a fighter, never complained, and always had a positive attitude. She would experience more medical problems as time went on, spending time in the hospital every year. In spite of her ailments, Joyce kept her kind and loving nature. With the help of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren, she lived and loved right until the end. Her spirit, heart, and toughness lives on in those she loved most.

Joyce will be dearly missed by her loving husband, Vernon; five children, Michael (Kim) Cummings of Sabula, Steven Cummings of Bellevue, Connie (Bud) Tegeler of Morrison, IL, Cindy (George) Schlecht of Bellevue, IA, and Candy (Kirby) Dague; 13 grandchildren, and 14 great-grandchildren; one brother, Gary (Margaret) Bopp of Astoria, IL; and her dog, Brownie. Joyce is preceded in death by her parents, Henry and Alta; her brother, Larry Bopp, and her infant brother, Tom.

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