B. Maxine Welch

Funeral Services for B. Maxine Welch will be conducted from the First Presbyterian Church in Holdrege, Nebraska on Monday, March 14, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. with Reverend Dr. W. Kirwin Stewart, Jr. officiating. Interment will be on Tuesday, March 15, 2011 at 1:00 p.m. (Mountain Time) at the Otis Cemetery in Otis, Colorado with Reverend Marcia Muir, officiating.

Betty "Maxine" Welch, 85 years of age, of Holdrege, passed away on Thursday, March 10, 2011 at the Good Samaritan Hospital in Kearney, Nebraska. Maxine was born August 22, 1925 near DeNova in Washington County, Colorado, the youngest of two children of George Henry and Bertha Esta (Beason) McCreath. Maxine was baptized in the Presbyterian Church in Otis. She grew up in Colorado attending various grade schools, and then graduated from High Prairie School near Otis, with the class of 1942. She then attended Greeley State College of Education in Greeley, Colorado for one year.

On August 1, 1943 she was united in marriage to Allen Ray Welch at Allen's parent's home near Otis and to this union four children were born: Carol, Dwayne, Elaine and Faydean. Allen passed away on February 19, 2009.

Maxine was employed in Otis at a grocery store for five years and also did café work. In 1969 the couple moved to Holdrege, where Maxine worked at Becton-Dickinson for 19 years until her retirement in 1988.

She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Holdrege and was a life member of the VFW Auxiliary. Maxine enjoyed bowling, camping, sewing and quilting.

Besides her parents and husband, Maxine was preceded in death by one daughter, Faydean Lynn Welch in infancy; one grandson, Rodney Heltenberg; one great-granddaughter, Chante` Butcher; one brother, Russell McCreath and his wife, Hazel; two brothers-in-law: Bill Welch and Ronald M. Welch; and sister-in-law, Edna Rains and her husband, Charles.

She leaves to mourn her passing her three children: Carol Heltenberg and her husband, Raymond of Yuma, Colorado, Dwayne Welch and his wife, Mary of Loveland, Colorado, and Elaine Ward and her husband, Alvin of Riverton, Wyoming; 10 grandchildren; 20 great-grandchildren; 1 great-great grandson; three sisters-in-law: Marjory (Welch) O'Neal of LaSalle, Colorado, Lois Welch of Grand Junction, Colorado and Fern Welch of Sterling, Colorado; and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.

Maxine will lie in state at the Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home in Holdrege on Sunday, March 13, 2011 from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. with the family greeting from 1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

A memorial has been established in her memory and kindly suggested to the First Presbyterian Church of Holdrege, the Presbyterian Church in Otis, Colorado or the Holdrege Senior Center.

Expressions of caring and kindness can be sent to the family at www.nelsonbauerfh.com

The Nelson-Bauer Funeral Home of Holdrege is in charge of arrangements.