Evelyn Theresa Welter, 90, of Celebration, Fla., passed away peacefully Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, at Solaris Healthcare in Celebration, surrounded by her loving family.
Born on March 26, 1934, to Ernest and Mary (Behler) in Cottonwood, Evelyn grew up on a farm near Ferdinand. She graduated as Valedictorian of her class from Ferdinand High School in 1952 before continuing her education at Kinman Business School in Spokane.
Evelyn began her professional career with Washington Water Power in Pullman, where she worked for over 31 years, establishing a successful career in the utility industry. It was in Pullman where she met her husband, Vern Welter. The two married on July 28, 1956, in Ferdinand, and enjoyed 60 years of marriage until Vern’s passing in 2016.
While in Pullman, Evelyn was an active member of the Catholic Church. In 1985, she and Vern relocated to Orofino, where she became the parish administrator for St. Theresa’s Catholic Church and the curator of the Clearwater Historical Museum.
In 1999, Evelyn and Vern moved to Missoula, Mont., to be closer to family. In Missoula, Evelyn continued her lifelong commitment to service, volunteering at St. Patrick Hospital, where she served as president of the St. Patrick Hospital Guild. She also contributed to the Museum at Fort Missoula, St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the Missoula Symphony Association, Montana Lyric Opera, and CareNet of Missoula. Her generosity of spirit and devotion to her community left a lasting impact.
In 2018, Evelyn moved to Celebration, where she continued to be an active member of Corpus Christi Catholic Church.
Evelyn is survived by her son, James Welter (Leslie), daughter, Patricia Welter Clay (Bob), and her cherished grandchildren: Amber Welter, Ashleigh Welter Scott (Cory), Jacob (Coby) Clay and Katy Clay Garofolo (Andrew). She was a proud and loving great-grandmother to Isabelle (6), Isaac (4), Indie (1) and Aurelia (9 months).
Evelyn was known for her kindness, deep faith and loving nature. She will be greatly missed by all who knew her, and her legacy of generosity and devotion will live on in the hearts of her family and friends.
A rosary will be recited at noon PST, Friday, Nov. 29, at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Celebration. The funeral Mass will be celebrated at 10 a.m. PST, Saturday, Nov. 30, at the church, with a reception to follow. A livestream will be available on the Corpus Christi Facebook page.
Evelyn will be laid to rest in the spring next to her beloved husband, Vern, at the Ferdinand Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that Masses may be said for Evelyn, which can be easily arranged through the Seraphic Mass Association website at seraphicmass.org.
