Martha Jean Welch, 62, Harrisonville, MO, died Thursday, September 18, 2008 at K. U. Medical Center in Kansas City, KS. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM Monday, September 22, 2008 at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Harrisonville. Burial will be in Orient Cemetery, Harrisonville. Visitation 6:00-8:00 PM Sunday, September 21 at the Atkinson Chapel in Harrisonville with Rosary at 6:00 PM. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society, Kansas City Metro Office, 6700 Antioch Road, Suite 100, Merriam, KS 66204.

Martha was born March 29, 1946 in Superior, Nebraska, the daughter of Edward Joseph and Rebecca Rachael (Larreau) Shaffer. She married Harlan Welch in June, 1984. She lived in Omaha, Nebraska, Dodge City, KS, Blue Springs, MO before moving to Harrisonville five years ago.

Martha received her nursing degree from Dodge City, KS. She had worked at Baptist Medical Center in Kansas City, MO before working at Lee's Summit Medical Center where she had been working for the last three years.

Martha was preceded in death by her parents. She is survived by her husband, Harlan, of the home; two sons, Tom Sothers, St. Louis, MO and Michael Pryor, Blue Springs, MO; one stepson, Dean Welch, Morgan, MN; one daughter, Sandi Lemka, Harrisonville, MO; three stepdaughters, Michelle Dobrenski, Franklin, WI, Gail Rubertus, Minooka, IL and Kathy Rohlik Seaforth, MN; three sisters, Dorothy Jensen, Gretna, NE, Pat Hatton, Concordia, KS and Nancy Fish, Superior, NE; three grandchildren, Nicholas Sothers, Allison Lemka, Hunter Pryor and six step-grandchildren, Alex, Brandon, Ryan, Meghan, Michael and Madison.