Mary Jane Welch

July 27, 1920 - Aug. 14, 2010

Mary Jane Powell Welch, of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, died Saturday, August 14, 2010, shortly after her 90th birthday. Born July 27, 1920 in Melbourne, Arkansas, she was the only child of Thomas Carl and Willie Ann Powell.

Mary Jane moved to Searcy, Arkansas when she was 10 years old. She attended the University of Arkansas and Harding University, graduating with a BA degree in art studies. She was a member of Chi Omega sorority. In August 1942, Mary Jane married Morgan Welch, a Searcy newspaper reporter then serving in the U.S. Army. In 1948 the couple moved to DeLand, where Morgan served as editor and then publisher of the DeLand Sun News. Since retirement in 1983, they had divided their time between their condominium in New Smyrna Beach and their house near Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina.

After her family, Mary Jane's chief interest was art. She was a talented painter and for a time created and sold hand-made jewelry fashioned mostly from ordinary, everyday materials. She once taught art to elementary school children in DeLand as a volunteer. Mary Jane was an active member of the Junior Welfare League of DeLand and an avid golfer. She was a charter member of the Women's Golf Association of DeLand, earning the nickname "Mighty Mouse" for her powerful tee shots. While living in DeLand, she and Morgan were members of the DeLand Country Club and Lake Beresford Yacht Club.

Mary Jane's grandchildren fondly remember the elaborate gingerbread houses and other gingerbread creations she made for Christmas each year while they were young. They were admired by the kids for a few minutes but then quickly gobbled up. For her recent 90th birthday, her children made and presented her with an album of photographs from 20 years of wonderful gingerbread creativity.

Besides her husband, Mary Jane is survived by her children, John Morgan Welch, Jr. (Lane) and Jane Welch Monetti (Marco), and grandsons Andrew Welch, Matthew Welch (Sita), Thomas Monetti and Steven Monetti.

Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, August 20 at Oakdale Cemetery, DeLand, where Mary Jane will be buried beside the graves of her parents. For those who wish to make a memorial gift, the family suggests a donation to Odyssey VistaCare Hospice Foundation, 717 N. Harwood, Suite 1500, Dallas, TX 75201.