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ROSELLA WELCH obituary

HARLEM - Rosella Marie O'Bryan Welch, 88, of Harlem died July 3, 2003, in Billings due to natural causes.

A graveside service will be Wednesday at 2 p.m. at Kuper Memorial Cemetery in Chinook.

Rosella was born on Dec. 14, 1914, at the O'Bryan family ranch home near the old town of Coberg on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. She was the only daughter of James Edward Smith O'Bryan and Sarah Standing Bear.

In her early years she attended school at Coberg and later attended secretarial school at Haskell Indian School in Kansas.

On Nov. 14, 1936, she married James Welch in Malta.

She worked in Oregon, Alaska and Montana for the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Bureau of Public Health. She also lived in Washington, South Dakota and Minneapolis. After her retirement, she lived in Harlem, and at the Grand Villa Apartments in Chinook until she moved to a senior home in Billings to be near her son, Tim, and his wife, Kathy.

During her lifetime her interests included reading, crocheting and baking for her family. Her Christian faith was also an important part of her life.

She was preceded in death by a half-brother, James Edward O'Bryan Jr.

Rosella is survived by sons, Timothy R. (Kathy) Welch of Billings, Gerald M. "Mike" (JoAnn) of Chico, Calif., and James P. Jr. (Lois) Welch of Missoula; four grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; a stepgrandson and two stepgreat-grandchildren. She is also survived by a former husband, James P. Welch of Great Falls.

Arrangements are by Edwards Funeral Home of Chinook.

 

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