Beverly Janelle Welch, 86, Fair Grove, MO, passed away September 12, 2022.  She was born January 10, 1936, in Ravanna, MO, to Don and Eva (Tinnen) Wells.  She graduated from Northeast Missouri State Teachers College (now Truman State University) in Kirksville, MO, where she was a record-setting basketball player.  Janelle and George Francis Welch were united in marriage on September 23, 1960.  As an elementary music teacher for Springfield Public Schools, Janelle shared her love of music with children for over 30 years.

            Janelle was a member of Bass Chapel Baptist Church in Strafford, MO, where she regularly played organ, and she volunteered at Springfield’s Victim Center for many years.  Janelle was an avid reader.  She enjoyed spending time in her garden, and as an animal lover, was rarely without pets.  Janelle was a lifelong baseball fan, following collegiate baseball, Little League, and especially the St. Louis Cardinals.  Above all, Janelle loved her grandchildren and spending time with her family.

            Janelle was preceded in death by her parents and her husband George.  She is survived by her son, George C. Welch, and his wife, Erin, and grandchildren Ivy Rose, Lincoln, Jackson, and Harper.

            Funeral services will be at 10:00 AM Thursday, September 22, at Greenlawn Funeral Home North, with burial at 1:00 PM at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery.  Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 PM Wednesday, September 21, at the funeral home.