Jarene Welling

Obituary for Jarene Kay Spencer Welling

Jarene Kay Spencer Welling went to heaven on Thursday, March 3, 2022, at the age of 78, after a brief battle with Leukemia. She was born May 3, 1943, at Fort Robinson Army Post to Jim and Verda Marie (Robinson) Spencer Lundberg, being the oldest of four children.

She graduated from Crawford High School in 1961. In that same year on November 5, she married Jim Lemmon. To this   union was born two sons, Roy and Joe. On September 11, 1976, Jarene married Keith Welling. The couple had three children, Mikel, Lyle, and Kari. Throughout her life, she was a dental     receptionist, business owner, entrepreneur, and rodeo goat    contractor.

Family was Jarene’s greatest joy. She abundantly enjoyed the times when everyone got together for special events. There were many laughs around the table as Jarene shared stories of the unusual and hilarious events that made her life so colorful. She loved taking care of her goats, playing cards, and spending time with family and friends. Jarene was an active member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Crawford, Nebraska.

Jarene was full of kindness, light, and hope. Her      grandson, Colter Lemmon summed it up this way, “She had a profound, honest type of optimism. She told me during our last visit about a month ago that she was sure they wouldn't be able to cure her but it was nice they were taking care of her.” She was always grateful and gracious in heart and soul.

Survivors include her husband Keith Welling, Marsland; Sister Victoria (Mike) Teetor, York; Daughter Kari Monroe (Marty), Harrison; Sons Roy (Brenda), Eagle Butte, SD; Joe (Terri),   Chadron; Mikel (Nancee), Crawford; Lyle (Cindy), Benson, AZ. Grandchildren: Tucker, Logan, Thaine Monroe; Ashley Sanchez, Colter, Dylan, Julie, Chris Lemmon; Shalee and Jacob Lemmon; Kwade and AbbyGayle Welling; Sierra (Kade) Lehmkuhler and four children, Valentine; Ainslee Morrison, Graham, WA; and Rio Lee Benson, AZ. Great grandchildren: Hadley Serres and Harlow Arendt. Jarene also leaves behind nieces, nephews, and many dear friends.

A wake will be held Monday, March 7, 2022 at 6:00 pm, at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Crawford, Nebraska.  Funeral services will be Tuesday, March 8, 2022 1:00 pm also at the Catholic Church. Those wishing to share remembrances or join virtually can do so on the Facebook Event Page, Jarene  Welling Life Celebration. Memorials can be sent to Security First Bank in Crawford.

Tribute to Grandma by Colter Lemmon:

I loved my grandma. I can be flighty, forgetful, and can lose track of time chatting. It's hard to be on time for things and I'm either way early or way late. I can say yes to often to many things and over commit myself. I appreciate a good joke. All this I got from my Grandma Jarene Welling.

But that's not what she taught me. What she taught me was to work hard. I remember stopping in Hemingford to clean a house on the way to Valentine to set up a booth to sell bits, after the goats were fed of course.

She taught me the value of conversation. We would talk the whole way, every trip. Any random sad song on the radio could make her cry so we would visit. And she never talked to me like I was kid, she always gave me space to converse like an "adult". She made me feel grown up and special. She always made me feel special. She made all her grandkids feel special.

She taught me kindness. I remember her talking about being called into jury duty being asked if she would convict a teenager of blatant crime. She said she was kicked out because she couldn't convict them, she couldn't do it. She just wanted to give them a hug and help them.

She told me a story once in high school. Her class got an assignment to rewrite the last scene of Romeo and Juliet. She misunderstood and rewrote the whole last act. And the teacher liked it and made her read for it the class. She told me she got made fun of for it but she didn't care. She liked her story and so did her teacher, “So there.”

She had a profound, honest type of optimism. She told me during our last visit about a month ago that she was sure they wouldn't be able to cure her but it was nice they were taking care of her. I said "that's dark Grandma." And we laughed.

These are just few examples of a few moments that have shaped me in ways I still don't understand. She didn't just make you feel special, she made all those moments matter because to her they did matter, more than anything. And now because of that, they matter to me in the same way.

Bless your heart Grandma, I love you, Goodbye.