M. Welna

Margaret Jeanne Welna, age 86, of Waseca died on Friday, March 4, 2016 surrounded by family at her home. Born on October 1, 1929 in Minneapolis, she was the daughter of Jerome and Margaret (O'Brien) Sauber. She was a 1947 graduate of Benilde-St. Margaret's in Minneapolis. Jeanne married Jerome Welna on April 24, 1954 at the Church of the Incarnation in Minneapolis, MN. Throughout the years, Jeanne worked as a seamstress, telephone operator and assisted her husband at his dental practice. Jeanne had a lifelong love and appreciation of the arts. As an artist, she especially enjoyed painting and drawing. As a patron of the arts, Jeanne was a lifetime member of the Waseca Arts Council and served as the assistant art director for the Waseca Art Center from 1987-1995.

Jeanne is survived by her children, Margaret (Byron ) Weigelt, Michael (Kristin) Welna, Theresa Welna, and Paul (Tina) Welna; grandchildren, Madeline Weigelt, Nathan Conway, Allison Isaacson, Bryan Weigelt, Jacob Conway, Seth Welna, Nick Welna, Andrew Welna, and Joseph Welna; great grandchildren, Nyura Levi, Lilia Levi, and Tommy Levi; and son-in-law, Dan Conway. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jerome, on May 10, 2001 and daughter, Kathleen Conway on June 13, 2013.

Visitation and wake will be held on Saturday, March 19, 2016 from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. with a service beginning at 3:00 p.m. at McRaith Funeral Home & Crematory in Waseca, MN. Interment will be held at Fort Snelling National Cemetery in Minneapolis at a later date. Instead of memorials, Jeanne requested donations be made to the Waseca Art Center.