Viora Rose Welsh

Viora Welsh, 95, of Blairsburg, Iowa, died peacefully on Friday, May 17, 2024, at MercyOne Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa, with family at her side.  Visitation will be Wednesday, May 29, 2024, from 10:30-11:15 AM at the United Church of Christ in Blairsburg, followed by funeral services at 11:30 AM.  Burial will be at the Blairsburg Cemetery.  

Viora Rose Stoppelmoor was born November 4, 1928, in Blairsburg, Iowa, to William and Grace (Naber) Stoppelmoor.  After graduating from Blairsburg High School, she was employed with an insurance company in Webster City.  On September 16, 1948, Viora was united in marriage to Frank Welsh in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  Together they were blessed with three children: Patrick, Glenda, and Marcia.  She was a long-time member of the United Church of Christ in Blairsburg.  

Viora was a devoted wife and mother caring for her children while working in the fields alongside Frank.  The love and support she gave to her children was evident, and she and Frank enjoyed attending all of their school activities.  She took pride in her vegetable garden and enlisted her children to assist in planting, weeding, harvesting, freezing and canning.  Baking bread and biscuits, which she learned from her mom, was a weekly highlight for the family. She loved tending to her large strawberry patch, and enjoyed sharing her crop with friends.  Music was an important part of her life, and she instilled that love of music in her children.  Sundays were the days the instruments came out, and the singing, dancing, and parading began.  Before she was married Viora played her accordion on many occasions, and the first time she met Frank, he was clearly entertained by her abilities as he grinned at her while she played.  She and Frank would play for barn dances in those early years, and in more recent years she coordinated and took part in the monthly jam sessions for area musicians at the Opera House. 

She was a member of the church choir for fifty years and was asked many times to sing for funerals and other church occasions.  She worked for the U. S. Postal Service while continuing to assist with the farming operation. In 1989 she and Frank retired from farming and moved to town where she was able to provide a home for cats and kittens as she had done on the farm her entire life.  Many abandoned kittens were bottle-fed and brought into the fold.  The two of them enjoyed weekends taking their camper to steam shows across Iowa. After Frank’s passing in 1997, Viora found herself quilting and sewing again which brought her joy as she made many gifts for her children and grandchildren.  

Giving back to her community via volunteering was always a priority for Viora.  She held many leadership roles including in the church’s Circle group, the city council, and the Blairsburg Community Improvement Association (BCIA), and served as president of the PTA when her children were young.  When the local school consolidated, the music for the school song was chosen and was played at sporting events but had no lyrics.  It wasn’t long before she put pen to paper making the school song complete and allowing the Trojan fight song to be sung for many decades.  She also wrote and directed several local pageants for the Blairsburg Day celebrations.  The preservation of the Blairsburg Opera House, a place she had performed while in high school, was her focus for years, and she organized many fund-raising events to that end.  She enjoyed getting the coffee started each Tuesday at City Hall in preparation for the locals who gathered for the morning, along with overseeing the rental of the Opera House.  In 2010 Viora became the recipient of the Governor’s Volunteer Award at a ceremony at Buena Vista University.  

More than anything else, it was her family that brought her the most joy.  She expressed on many occasions how happy it made her and how special it was when her children and grandchildren all could gather together at her home.  The music, games, and laughter were unending.  

Those left to cherish her memory include her son: Patrick Welsh;  daughters: Glenda (Steve) Robertson and Marcia (Doug) Welsh Rebhuhn; grandchildren:  Jason (Natalie) Welsh, Courtney (Rob) Grass, Nick (Jenny) Robertson, Austin (Erin) Burns-Robertson, Whitney (Michael) Redlinger, Cal (Carly) Rebhuhn, Tawnee (Frank) Rebhuhn, Brady (Nelson) Rebhuhn, and Brittny Rebhuhn; step-grandchildren: Chad (Jennifer) Roesle and Amber (Adrian) Gonzalez; great-grandchildren: Travis, Emily, Birk, Addy, Milly, Teegan, Cooper, Parker, Milo, and Jude; step-great-grandchildren: Ashlynn, Wyatt, Aiden, and Adeline; and sister-in-law: Nancy Stoppelmoor.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank; parents and parents-in-law; brothers and spouses: Laverne (Eva), Lawrence (Wilma), Floyd (Jean), Sterling, and Ernie; sisters and spouses:  Dorothy (James) Spitler and Ruby (Sidney) Thompson; and daughter-in-law Cheryl Welsh.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts can be directed to the family, who will distribute financial gifts to Viora’s favorite charities.