Merry Anne Welsch

Merry Anne Welsch, aged 73, of Winfield, Iowa passed away suddenly on Wednesday, July 20, 2022 at University Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City, Iowa.  A visitation will be held on Monday, July 25, 2022 from 4:00 P.M. to 7:00 P.M. at Snyder & Hollenbaugh Funeral Home in Winfield, Iowa.  Funeral services will be at 11:00 A.M. on Tuesday, July 26, 2022 at the Winfield United Methodist Church in Winfield, Iowa.  A burial will be held on Wednesday, July 27, 2022 at 11:00 A.M. at Prairie Cemetery in Fennimore, Wisconsin.  In lieu of flowers, memorials can be sent to Wray Welsch, which will be given to the Winfield United Methodist Church and the Winfield Fire and Rescue in Merry’s memory.  Online condolences may be left for the family at www.sandhfuneralservice.com

Merry, the daughter of Frank and Virginia (Monroe) Miller, was born on December 1, 1948 in Moline, Illinois.   On September 30, 1972, Merry married Walter Wray Welsch in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.

As a little girl, she lived in Erie, Illinois and Low Moore, Iowa.   Then, her family moved to a farm outside of Fennimore, Wisconsin.  She attended the Ideal and Rock Country Schools near Fennimore for elementary grades and Fennimore Community School District for Junior High and High School.  She graduated in 1966.

She attended Iowa Wesleyan College in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa for 2 years, after which she transferred to Iowa State University, graduating in 1970.

She began her teaching career at Winfield-Mt. Union Community School District in Winfield, Iowa in the fall of 1971, teaching what is now known as Family and Consumer Science (Home Ec).  She taught there until the spring of 1977.

In 1975, Wray and Merry moved to Breezy Hill Farm in rural Winfield, making a wonderful home and farm life together for the next 47 years.  Together, they grew corn and soybeans and raised hogs.  Merry made many pies with the apples from their apple orchard and preserved produce from the garden.

For many years, Merry worked in the home while their daughters were young.  As the girls became school-aged, Merry returned to education by substitute teaching.  In 1990, she became the Family and Consumer Science teacher at WACO Community School District in Wayland, Iowa.  She taught there for the remainder of her working years, except for a 1-year break in 2004-2005 when she taught at Highland Community School District in Riverside, Iowa.  She retired from WACO in 2010.

Merry was a talented seamstress taking great pride in executing the most difficult and detailed patterns for clothing, accessories, and quilts.  She loved traveling out West to places like Mount Rushmore, Jackson, Wyoming, or Yellowstone National Park.  She also loved visiting Branson, Missouri and all of the area fabric shops.  Merry enjoyed spending time with her family, and her grandchildren brought her a special joy.

Survivors include her husband, Wray; two daughters and sons-in-law, Erin and Matthew Chambers of Mitchellville, Iowa, and Caitlin and Noah Edwards of Callaway, Maryland; four grandchildren, Abigail Chambers, Owen Chambers, Wyatt Edwards, and Elliott Edwards; two brothers, Monroe Miller and Lyman Miller; and one sister, Jen Miller.

Her parents, Frank and Virginia Miller, preceded her in death.