Stella Welker

Stella Marie Welker, 85, of Jackson passed away Monday, Feb. 6, 2006, at her home.

She was born March 3, 1920, at Leopold, Mo., daughter of the late John and Bernadine Brauer Brands.

When she was a young girl, her family relocated to Portageville, Mo., where she attended the former St. Eustachius Catholic School. She worked at the old Saint Francis Hospital in Cape Girardeau from 1940 to 1947.

On April 7, 1947, she and Wilbert Welker were married at St. Mary's Cathedral in Cape Girardeau. The couple briefly resided near Sedgewickville, Mo. In 1948 they moved to Gordonville, where they owned and operated a dairy farm until moving to Jackson last year.

Stella was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson and St. Ann's Sodality. The Welkers previously were members at the former St. Edwards Catholic Church in Dutchtown.

Survivors include her faithful husband of 58 years, Wilbert; five children, Susan (Jim) Stoverink, Mary Anne (Jack) Martin, all of Jackson, Ed (Kathy) Welker, Wib (Ann) Welker, all of Gordonville, and Jim (Terri) Welker of Cape Girardeau; a brother, Theodore Brands of Miner, Mo.; and a sister, Louise Hulshof of Gordonville.

Also surviving are 17 grandchildren, Jim (Debbie) Stoverink, Tom (Laura) Stoverink, Christy (Matt) Margrabe, Luke Stoverink, and Tyson Stoverink, all of Jackson, John (Keely) Martin, Michael Martin, and Sarah Martin, all of Jackson; Alex Welker of Washington, D.C., Briana (Jamie) Brown of Gordonville, Chris Welker, stationed in Korea, Angela, David, and Nicholas Welker, all of Gordonville; Matthew, Justin, and Emily Welker, all of Cape Girardeau; and 13 great-grandchildren, Kyle, Whitten, T.J. and Austin Stoverink, Rachel Margrabe, Brayden, Rylan, Kinsley Martin, Alexius, and Ashley Welker, Landon, Ethan, and Grayson Brown.

She was preceded in death by two sisters, and two brothers.

Friends may call today from 3:30 to 8 p.m. at McCombs Funeral Home in Jackson. Monsignor Edward Eftink will officiate parish prayers at 7, immediately followed by the rosary led by St. Ann's Sodality.

Funeral Mass will be Thursday at 10 a.m. at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Jackson, with Monsignor Edward Eftink officiating. Interment will follow in Russell Heights Cemetery in Jackson.

Expressions of sympathy may take the form of contributions to Immaculate Conception Building Fund or Notre Dame Capital Campaign.