Donald Welle

Donald C. Welle, age 70 of Melrose, died on Monday, July 5, 2004 at Pine Villa Care Center in Melrose, Minnesota.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 7 at St. Mary's Catholic Church in Melrose with Rev. Vincent Lieser officiating. Military honors will be provided by the Melrose Veterans Honor Guard with interment following in St. Michael's Cemetery, Spring Hill.

Friends may call Tuesday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Wednesday from 8 to 10 a.m. at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Melrose. Parish prayers will be at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday evening at the funeral home followed by St. Michael's Men's Society at 8:30 p.m.

Donald Welle was born on November 30, 1933 in Belgrade, Minnesota to Peter and Isabelle (Heinen) Welle. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict. On June 18, 1957 he was united in marriage to Marcella "Marcie" Athmann at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Spring Hill. The couple owned and operated Welle's Bar in Spring Hill for 20 years and then Homer's Bar in Melrose for six years. Don was then a truck driver with Hardrives of St. Cloud for ten years, retiring in 1996. He was a member of St. Mary's Catholic Church, St. Michael's Men's Society, Schanhaar-Otte VFW Post 7050 and American Legion Post 101.

Survivors include his wife, Marcie Welle of Melrose; five children, June (Don) Bierschbach of Avon, Jan (Rick) Woeste of Greenwald, Joy (Matthew) Silbernick of Meire Grove, Jill (Stephen) TerSteeg of Savage and Jeff (Jean) Welle of Ramsey; 16 grandchildren; brothers and sisters, Earl (Kathy) Welle of Fridley, Herb (Rosie) Welle of Melrose and Ramona (Amby) Schneider of Albany.

He was preceded in death by his parents; infant brother; sisters, Victoria Athmann and Lorraine Kuebelbeck.

Serving as casket bearers will be Eric Silbernick, Sean and Ian Hill, Beau Bierschbach, Luke Woeste and Nicholas Welle. Cross bearer will be Brady Welle and scripture bearer will be Jodie Woeste. Honorary bearers will be the Super Bowl Friends.