Florence Welch

Florence Welch, 84, of Winterset, died Wednesday, December 6, 2017, at West Bridge Care and Rehab in Winterset. A Rosary will be begin at 1:00 p.m., Sunday, December 10, at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Winterset, with a visitation to follow, concluding at 5:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:00 a.m., December 11, at the St. Joseph Catholic Church with burial to follow in the Winterset Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to the St. Joseph Catholic Church Altar & Rosary Society. Florence Lucille Flahive, daughter of William and Mary (Bingaman) Flahive, was born July 3, 1933, in Weller, Iowa. She graduated from Lovilla High School in 1951. Florence was a skilled basketball player in high school who qualified for the state free-throw shooting competition, placing second. Florence was united in marriage with Robert McCauley in 1958 and six children were born to this union. Florence was later married to Harry Stalheim in 1977, until Harry died in 1998. Florence was then united in marriage with Donald Welch in 2002. Florence was a homemaker until her children were raised. She then worked as a caretaker for many elderly people around town. She then was the head cook at the Madison County meal site and served as a lunch lady at the Winterset Schools. Florence was a devout Catholic, a prayer warrior and a lifelong member of St. Joseph Catholic Church. She was also a member of St. Joseph Altar and Rosary Society and the VFW Post 8142 Women’s Auxiliary. Florence enjoyed gardening, playing cards and entertaining family at her home. She was a talented cook; her homemade chicken and noodles and chocolate cake were just a few of her specialties. Florence was an enthusiastic Iowa Hawkeyes fan and loved to cheer on her Hawks. She was very proud of her Irish heritage and had a knack for storytelling. Florence was a proud mother and grandmother and loved to attend all their activities. Above all else, she was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, sister and friend who cherished the time spent with her family and friends. Left to cherish her memory are her husband, Donald Welch of Winterset; six children, Joellen Bingaman of Rushford, MN, Martin McCauley of Winterset, Jacqueline McCauley of Winterset, Joan Marie McCauley of Winterset, Michael (Kathleen) McCauley of Winterset, Julie (Todd) Mapes of Winterset; 12 grandchildren, Tami Sheeder, Travis Sheeder, Wesley Brown, Nickolas McCauley, Brittney Hill, Issac McCauley, Blake McCauley, Lucy Dougherty, Alex Dougherty, Kelsie Mapes, Kaitlyn Mapes; great-grandson, Zayne Bowman; sisters, Marjorie (Edward) Martin of Arizona, Catherine (Jack) Thomas of California, Delores Littlejohn of West Des Moines; brother, James (Diane) Flahive of Albia; numerous nieces, nephews, extended family and friends. Florence was preceded in death by her husband, Harry Stalheim; brothers, Edward, William and John; sisters, Madeline, Bernice, Mary Teresa, Geraldine and JoAnn; and a great-grandson, Zaeden Sheeder Johnson.