Obituary- Dorothy Burgess

Dorothy Jean Burgess
8-10-1920 ~ 11-4-2011
Dorothy Jean Burgess, 91, died at the Colorado State Veterans Nursing Home in Walsenburg, CO on November 4, 2011.
She enjoyed taking care of her family, drinking coffee while visiting with her friends, reading the Bible, and praising God with songs and prayer.
She went on many mission trips in the US and to foreign countries including a trip where she smuggled Bibles into China (at the age of 74).
She taught first graders at the Helena Christian School many years while she lived in Montana.
Dorothy was born in a sod house, in Garfield County, near Jordan, MT on August 10, 1920, where her parents, Cora and Gabriel Burgess had homesteaded. Three children were born into the marriage, Dorothy, Jack, and Ruth who died at a young age. Dorothy’s brother, Jack preceded her in death.
Byron Welch and Dorothy Burgess were married in Hutchinson, KS on December 10, 1941. The marriage was blessed with three children: Byron (Buddy) Welch Jr. (Sara), Topeka, KS; Thomas (Tom) Welch, Glendale, AZ; and Ray Welch (Vickie), Alamosa, CO.
Byron Jr. and Sara have four children. Troy Welch (Becky) of Bentonville, AR; Staci Murry (Mike) of Rogers, AR; Cathy Carlson of Dillon, CO; and David Carlson of Dillon, CO.
Ray and Vickie have four children, Cody of Alamosa, CO; Chris (Hillary) of Hot Sulphur Springs; CO, Scott (Jenny) of Fort Collins, CO; and Angie of the home.
Dorothy has six grandchildren and six great grandchildren, and one great, great grandchild from the Byron and Dorothy Welch union.
Byron (Barney) Welch, died October 18, 1968.
Dorothy married Douglas Burgess on May 30, 1970 and moved to Helena Montana in 1970. In this union she was a step-mother to Doug’s children: Phil Burgess, Sandra Earling (Ron), Linda Curtis (Jim) and Jim Burgess. Doug’s previous wife passed away due to cancer. Doug died on Nov. 5, 1992 at Helena, MT.
Dorothy then moved to an apartment above Byron Jr’s. office in Chariton, IA in the spring of 1993. With the onset of dementia Dorothy eventually had to move to the Colorado State Veteran’s Nursing Home in Walsenburg, CO in January 2006.
Dorothy’s body has been cremated at her request, and a memorial service will be held at the First Christian Church, Lyons, KS at 10 am on Nov. 19, 2011.