Patricia Ruth Welle

HAMILTON - Patricia Ruth Welle passed away in the early hours of September 25, 2009 in Hamilton Montana, attended by her children. She was 82 years old. Born Patricia Ruth Mayer in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 24, 1927, the eldest child of Joseph and Mabel Mayer, "Pat" grew up in Grand Forks, North Dakota where she graduated high school from St. James Academy in 1944. She spent a year working as a secretary for the North Dakota Department of Agriculture before attending the College of St. Benedict in St. Joseph, Minnesota. She was a contributor to the campus literary journal "The Benet" as well as a member of the editorial staff, and she received her B.A. in English in 1949. Patricia met Daniel Welle in 1946. They dated throughout their college years and were married on Feb. 11, 1950.

Pat and Dan lived for over 25 years in Park Rapids, Minnesota where Patricia devoted her life to raising their seven children. She was an avid lover of literature and the arts; she instilled in her family an abiding interest in ideas, and respect for all living things. Patricia took an interest in oil painting for several years and produced numerous works depicting the woods and lakes surrounding the family home. She was also a prolific photographer and was rarely seen without her camera.

Patricia enjoyed meeting new people and socializing with friends. She was a crack bridge player and hosted a regular group in her home for two decades. Her greatest enjoyment was reading; she was very fond of her large personal library that ranged from 18th century classics to modern romance, biographies and history. She enjoyed live theater and was also an avid collector of music and movies, often sharing her favorites with friends and family alike.

Pat and Dan had numerous friends in far-flung locations and they traveled frequently throughout the American West, Mexico, and Great Britain. Upon Dan's retirement in 1988, Pat and Dan moved to Hamilton, Montana to be near family. She spent her time tracking the exploits of her children and grandchildren, writing correspondence, tending to her indoor garden and enjoying the quiet of the mountain landscape from their hilltop home. After Daniel died in 1998, Pat built a new home for herself in town and continued to pursue her interests in music and literature, occasionally volunteering at the local public library and at the Daly Mansion Museum.

She is survived by her children Anne (Richard) Weber of Hamilton, MT, Michael (Debi) Welle of Burnsville, MN, Richard (Lisa Klig) Welle of Huntington Beach, CA, Kristin (Roy) Popilek of Rogers, MN, Patricia Welle of Portland, OR, Melissa (Hollis) Davenport of Campbell, MN and David Welle of Deep Springs, CA; fifteen grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and Elena Shaadi Cardeno of Mexico City, Mexico. She is also survived by her siblings, Richard Mayer of San Dimas, CA, Roseanne Ydstie of Oceanside, CA, Philip Mayer of Dallas, TX, Marilyn Jentz of Pequot Lakes, MN, Angela Bendix of Willmar, MN and Alisa Nelson of Wauben, MN. In lieu of gifts, the family requests that memorial donations be made to the Marcus Daly Memorial Hospital of Hamilton, MT, in deep appreciation of the staff's dedicated attention to Patricia in the last years of her life.

Visitation will be held on Monday, September 28, 2009 from 5 - 7 pm at the Daly-Leach Chapel with Wake Services following at 7:00 pm. Funeral Mass will be celebrated on Tuesday, September 29 at 11:00 am at St. Francis Catholic Church with burial to follow at Riverview Cemetery in Hamilton. There will be a reception following the committal service at the Parish Life Center. Condolences may be left for the family at www.dalyleachchapel.com.