Eleanor Ann Welle

Eleanor Ann Ipson was born on October 10, 1926 to W. R. (Robert) and Eleanor Ipson in Denver, Colorado. She was the second child of four and the only girl. Her brothers, Bob, Jack and Tom were very protective of their "little sister" even if she was older than some of them. Her father worked for Wells Fargo as a teamster and then the Railway Express Railroad and provided for the family very well, even during the tough times of the Great Depression.

Eleanor was a typical girl with many friends who loved to visit whenever her mother was cooking. She also loved to ride horses. At an early age Eleanor proved to be a very hard worker, much like her parents. She even babysat for some famous personalities such as Pete Smythe (aka the Mayor of East Tincup, Colorado) and got a chance to meet Bing Crosby while growing up in south Denver.

During her years at South High School she became friends with many wonderful people. One of those, Sis Moore, ultimately introduced her to her future husband, Richard Welle. He still jokes that this introduction was actually the worst thing a friend could do to someone.

Eleanor and Richard dated through their senior year of high school. They would often go to the Trocadero Ballroom at Elitch Gardens to dance to the "Big Bands". Then Richard went away to the Navy during the Second World War.

After Richard's return from the Navy, they were married in 1947 and a year afterwards her first son Mark was born in 1948. Two years later her daughter Catherine was born in 1950. Then in 1958, Richard III (Ricky) was born. By this time she was a fantastic mother and wife who enjoyed gardening and dealing with her children in the best of ways. She coordinated Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Brownies and little league sports of all kinds.

In 1953, with the help of her parents, she and the family moved into their first new home in Englewood. This was quite a unique endeavor because the house was actually moved from where the new Valley Highway (I-25) was being built to its new address on Marion Street.

Eleanor continued to be a vivacious woman with a fantastic sense of humor and the ever present hard work ethic. From the family vacations at Horsetooth Reservoir, Lake of the Ozark's, Flaming Gorge, Lemmon Lodge at Grand Lake, to Disneyland, she always put the family first. There was no task too tough for her to make others happy.

In 1963, as Richard's career began to accelerate, the family moved to Littleton (now Centennial) and a larger home. Dealing with two '60's teenagers while raising a toddler was no easy task. But Eleanor, as usual, proved up to the challenges.

After Eleanor got Mark and Cathy through high school and into college, she was able to spend more time with Ricky, her "baby". Also, she decided to work at St. Mary's Academy in 1974 while Rick was still in school. This led to a very rewarding career at the school. All the children, teachers and parents appreciated her grace and wisdom as a loving woman.

After retiring from St. Mary's in 1987 Eleanor devoted her time to traveling with Richard. He then sold his business as they began to travel and enjoy the rewards of their years of hard work. During these vagabond years they traveled all over the world. They traveled to Tahiti, Europe, Mexico, Hawaii and even undertook a 2 month motor home trip through Alaska. They also found time to buy a boat to live on in San Diego part time. This gave them time to see their children's families grow with the addition of many grandchildren.

Mark has a son and a daughter (Mark Jr. and Andrea), Catherine has a son and a daughter (Jordan and Erin), and Rick has two sons (Richard IV and Ryan). Eleanor has 12 great-grandchildren, 10 boys and 2 girls. They range in ages from 21 to less than 1 year old.

Eleanor and Richard aged gracefully and settled in to a routine of living at their Gunnison cabin on the shore of Blue Mesa during the summer and their home in Lake Havasu during the winter for many years. They would still spend much time in the motor home seeing new places and visiting old friends. But they always found time to "visit" the house on Cook St. during the holidays and important family events.

Eleanor was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and lived with it in her typical stoic fashion. She never complained, only showing her strength and grace for more than ten years before going to be with our Lord Jesus Christ on April 15, 2016. She was always more concerned about others than herself. She was the best friend a person could have. The best daughter a parent could wish for. The kindest sister a brother could have. The greatest mother a child could ever ask for, and the best wife a husband could ever spend his life with. She will be greatly missed but we know that she is now in a much happier place. Jesus said: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand" (John 10:27).