Thelma Welckle

Thelma Amelia Welckle was born on April 2, 1910, in Minnesota Falls Township, Yellow Medicine County, MN, the daughter of Carl J. and Alma C. Ims. She was baptized at Rock Valle Lutheran Church and confirmed in the Lutheran faith at Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church. She attended country school through the eighth grade and was united in marriage to Edwin J. Welckle on October 10, 1934.Thelma was active in Yellow Medicine Lutheran Church, teaching Sunday school, singing in church choir and participating in Ladies Aide. She was in a birthday club with other women which started in 1944 and was an avid reader of the daily paper up until the past few days. She loved to entertain and decorate the house for the Christmas season. She also loved to dance, once dancing with Lawrence Welk.Thelma's grandchildren would stay with her and Ed for extended periods and she bonded strongly with several nieces and nephews, maintaining those connections well into their adulthood. She was a strong model for several young women. Her presence was keenly felt and she will be greatly missed. On Thursday, October 27th, 2011, Thelma was peacefully called from this life while a resident of the Granite Falls Manor. She was 101 years of age.Surviving family include her son John Welckle of St. Paul; her brother John Imes of Minneapolis; grandsons Michael Welckle and his wife Kirsten Wedes of Minneapolis, and Steven Welckle and his wife Karen Noll of Tokyo, Japan; great grandchildren Abraham Welckle and Isaiah Welckle both of Minneapolis, Bessie Noll, Ella Noll and Theolonious Welckle all of Tokyo, Japan. She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; brothers Kenneth Ims and Stanley Imes and sisters Anna Hinz and Camilla Emmel.