Alvina Mary Welch

Alvina M. Welch, 89, Bismarck, passed away on May 25, 2011, at a local hospital. Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 am Tuesday, May 31, 2011, at Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, Bismarck, with Rev. Brian Gross officiating. Burial will be in St. Mary?s Cemetery, Bismarck. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm until 7:00 pm Monday, May 30, at Parkway Funeral Service, 2330 Tyler Parkway, Bismarck, where a vigil/rosary service will begin at 7:00 pm. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Alvina Mary was born October 16, 1921, to Carl and Elizabeth Mastel Fischer in Hazelton, ND. She moved with her family to Bismarck, where she graduated from St. Mary?s School in 1939. She met the ?boy across the street,? James Clayton ?Bunny? Welch, and they were married in 1942. As Bunny served in the U.S. Army Air Force, they lived briefly at bases in Rapid City and elsewhere in the United States, settling permanently after his discharge in Bismarck, when Bunny went into the family plumbing business. Together they raised four children, and family remained Alvina?s main focus throughout her long life. She also loved cooking for the family and playing bridge with her girlfriends. Alvina was active in Cathedral parish and St. Mary?s Central High School activities for many years, and was well-known for her wonderful penmanship and letter-writing skills, along with her beautiful embroidery and cross-stitch creations. She also loved to attend extended family gatherings with all her nieces, nephews, and great-grandchildren. Alvina is survived by her three brothers, Thomas Dee of Billings, Charles Jackie of AZ and James Doris of Bismarck; as well as her children, James Bernadette, Mary, and Barbara David Peske, all of Bismarck, and Jeffrey Susan of Mandan; her grandchildren, Pam McClure of Woodland, CA, Jennifer Anthony Oliverio of Hayden, ID, Kara Christopher Jones of West Fargo, and Brandon and Brittany of Mandan, all of whom will greatly miss her loving advice and concerns as well as recollections of the early days with Sunday morning caramel rolls. She was preceded in death by her husband, James; her brothers, Peter, Leo, Kenneth and Dennis; her sister, Rose Ann Ilse; and her grandson, Ryan Peske.

Alvina Mary Welch

October 16, 1921 - May 25, 2011