Mable S. Welch

HAMILTON - Mable Daisy Spracklin Welch, 70, of Hamilton passed away Saturday, Aug. 15, 2009 at the Marcus Daly Hospice and Palliative Care Center after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer. She was born September 28, 1938 in Jordan, Montana, the daughter of the late Clifford Ray Spracklin and Viola Christina Rose.
- Mable was raised in Jordan until age 12 when her family moved to the Bitterroot Valley making their home in Charlos Heights. She briefly lived in Anaconda where she attended Anaconda High School, and graduated from Darby High School in 1956. After graduation Mable attended Modern Business College in Missoula and became a certified secretary. Following her education she worked as the office secretary for Darby High School.
- On May 25, 1957, she married Donald Lee Welch of Hamilton. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Idaho Falls, Idaho, temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- Mable had the privilege of working part-time for Fords Federated, Ravalli County Federal Credit Union and the Montana State Drivers Services Department. She also enjoyed professional employment and worked full-time for over 14 years for Citizens State Bank as an escrow department clerk, escrow department manager and as a personal banker. She later accepted an offer of employment from First American Title Company and worked full-time as its escrow department manager until her retirement four years later at age 65. She returned to work from retirement and worked as a bank teller for First Security Bank for approximately one year.
- Mable was a faithful member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and served in many leadership capacities. These positions of responsibility included being president of the Hamilton congregation's children's organization and as president of the children's organization overseeing six congregations throughout the valley. She later served as the president of the Hamilton congregation's women's organization, the Relief Society, and as a counselor in the area's Relief Society presidency, overseeing the society's work in six congregations. Mable also served in her congregation's young women's program as a leader. She was proud to be a part of the first Relay for Life in Hamilton and enjoyed supporting causes focused on beating breast cancer.
- Mable enjoyed needle work, quilting and was a master seamstress having made all four of her daughters' wedding dresses, numerous suits for her husband and son as well as having completed hundreds of other sewing projects. In her spare time she enjoyed walking, gardening, planting flowers, reading, traveling to see the country, her grandchildren and other relatives, and researching her family's history.
- She is preceded in death by her parents and brothers Ted Hieb, Mike Wright, Pat Wright, Jack Coppin, and Clifford Spracklin. Mable is survived by her husband of 52 years, Don, of Hamilton, sisters Marie Moorhouse (Keith) of Casper, Wyoming, and Marcella Burton (John) of Rio Rancho, New Mexico, her brother Warren Long (Doris) of Casper, Wyoming, her five children, Sherri Hughes (Russell) of Hamilton, Cynthia Brinkerhoff (Neil) of Sheridan, Wyoming, Angela Whiting (Dallas) of Dillon, Montana, Jeffrey Welch (Jessica) of Alpine, Utah, and Amy Haines (Brad) of Brunswick, Georgia, 21 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
- Pallbearers are her grandsons Zachary Gray, Boe Fogel, Jordan Hughes, Ethan Brinkerhoff, Dylan Whiting, Kolton Brinkerhoff, Ashton Haines and Harrison Welch.
- The Family suggests memorials be made to the Daly Hospice Endowment Fund, 1200 Westwood Dr., Hamilton, MT 59840.