Arlene Marie (Powell) Welsh

Fighting the good fight until the end, Arlene Marie (Powell) Welsh entered into eternal life on Tuesday, October 28, 2025. Arlene was born on December 21, 1937—the first day of winter and the shortest day of the year. She always said it wasn’t fair that everyone had a longer birthday than she did, and complained that always being chilled was the result of leaving the hospital in frigid temperatures. Raised on Butte’s Anaconda Road with her parents Jean and Elmer Powell, older sister Dolores, and grandmother Bridget, they were a foursome with bonds tighter than any rope dropping buckets into the mines. She attended St. Mary’s School and was a 1955 graduate of Girl’s Central High School. Admittedly, if there was something to be tried, she tried. Following high school, Ar headed to Seattle University with many of her classmates. During Christmas break of her first year, she met the love of her life, Hughie Welsh, and decided that one year in Seattle was enough. Hughie and Arlene were married in St. Mary’s Catholic Church on August 17, 1957, and welcomed their first child, Geri Lynn, the following summer. Dan joined the family 2 years later. After Dan started school, Arlene decided it was time to return to college, and enrolled at Western Montana College. To not interrupt family life, she only attended summer school, commuting to Dillon for 3 summers. She began her teaching career in 1968 as a substitute teacher, taking on elementary grade levels and Special Education. Her compassion for students of all levels led her to a twenty-three year career teaching at Butte Sheltered Workshop. When she “retired” in 2001, boredom set in after she insulated her attic and painted Geri’s wrought iron fence, so it was back to the classroom as a substitute teacher for fourteen years. “Retiring” again in 2015, her teacher blood remained so she volunteered reading to the kindergarten classes at Emerson for another five years. At age 83, she retired for the last time. Most people can talk about the wonderful cook their mother was, and the wonderful family dinners that she prepared. Arlene professed that she was not a cook, nor baker! She taught us everything she knew about meal prep, and that was to make reservations in advance and have your favorite restaurant on speed dial. She was, however, excellent at ceramics and made many decorations that her friends cherish. Hand her a crochet needle and a pattern, and you had the most beautiful hand-crafted Arlene masterpiece. She loved sitting down with her extra hot mocha, no whipped cream, and playing word games like Sudoku, Crypto Quote, the daily crossword and kept at least 50 games of Words with Friends going with Geri. Arlene and Hughie loved their time together. Hughie’s involvement with softball in the 60’s and 70’s led Arlene to be the consummate “softball wife”. Dozens of boxes of softballs would be delivered to their house each year. Teams ordering new uniforms would have them sent to A. Welsh because she was home to accept the deliveries and teams knew that she would iron the uniforms before they picked them up. It wasn’t anything unusual to have bases, ball and bats dotting the living room floor. Many softball nights were spent at the fields of Clark’s Park and the Armory fields (or as she called them, the Dust Bowl). Hughie and Ar and spent several years attending Spring Training in the Phoenix area. They would sit for hours mapping out the best game times to see two games in a day. After Hughie passed in 2013, Arlene didn’t slow down. With Geri, Dennis, and Kyla she traveled to a Paul McCartney concert, New York, Boston, Ireland, Seattle, Spokane, the Caribbean, and crossed the Arctic Circle in Alaska. She found comfort visiting Dan and his family in Gardnerville, NV and Kyla in Troy MT. She never had anything planned when she got a call asking, “Hey, Mom! Whatcha doing this weekend?”, and kept her suitcase handy. Arlene led a beautiful, full life, and leaves behind many who loved the heck out of her—her daughter, rock, and best-friend Geri Grose, her son Dan Welsh of Gardnerville, NV, who wasn’t afraid to keep her on her toes, favorite son-in-law and best-guy Dennis Grose, favorite daughter-in-law Francis Welsh, trusting her to finish raising Dan, grandson and keeper of the truck Brad Welsh of Lake Tapps, WA, granddaughter and partner in everything Kyla Grose, and Rachel Hampton (Aaron) mother of her great-children Cameron, Hannah and Addison. She is also survived by her brother-in-law Bud Atchison, her best friend and cousin, Marna Lehman of Bellevue, WA, sisters-in-law Darlene Welsh and Janet Welsh, nieces, nephews, cousins and friends that will feel the void. Hughie will be welcoming Arlene with open arms, alongside her parents, sister Dolores (who passed four days before Arlene), her grandparents, seven aunts and uncles, Hughie’s family, and many cousins and friends. The staff at Big Sky Senior Living, Dr. Shennelle Schoenfeld and nurse Carla Stanghill, Father Patrick Beretta, and Nurse Virginia from Honey Bee Hospice are to be commended and thanked for their assistance in making Arlene comfortable in her final hours. With an abundance of patience, John Hossfeld filled his calendar meeting with the family. In keeping with her tradition of being a helper and teacher, memorials are suggested to the Butte Emergency Food Bank, Butte Central Education Fund or BSW. Funeral services will be held Friday, November 14, 2025 at 11 am, with visitation beginning at 10 am in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, 329 W. Mercury St, Butte, MT. Internment of ashes will follow at Holy Cross Cemetery.

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Arlene Marie (Powell) Welsh

December 21, 1937 - October 28, 2025