Helen Jo Welch, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, former secretary, law office manager, civic leader, real estate agent, life-long Democrat and true humanitarian, died in her home in Hugo on September 27, 2012, at the age of 89. Services for Helen Jo will be held on Saturday, September 29, 2012, at 10:00 a.m. at the First United Methodist Church in Hugo, OK with Rev. Phil Hodson officiating and burial at the Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Hugo, OK.
Jo, as she was known to most of her friends, was born in Hugo on December 9, 1922, to Bert and Gertrude (Cook) Bounds. She had two sisters, Ruby Grayston and Doris Ellis, and a brother, James Bounds, all of whom are now deceased. Her parents were divorced while she was very young, and she was raised by her mother with the help of her oldest sister, Ruby, who was a no-nonsense English teacher from the age of 18. When Jo started school, she had a serious speech impediment and could barely be understood. Although she remembered people making fun of how she talked, she never dwelt on it. Instead, she was simply proud of the fact that, with Ruby’s help and steady encouragement, she overcame the impediment. In 1940, when she graduated from Hugo High School as Valedictorian, she addressed her class with near perfect diction. After high school, Jo worked in the Choctaw County Clerk’s office where she met her future husband and local attorney, the late Hal Welch. For many years, Jo worked as a legal secretary and office Manager in Hal’s law office. After Hal’s death in 1968, Jo worked at Security First National Bank, was Manager of the Choctaw Chamber of Commerce and eventually became a realtor. Jo was also active in civic affairs, serving as the Red Cross representative and Chair of the Choctaw County Democratic Party. Jo was smart, beautiful, strong willed, industrious and out-spoken, and she was also gentle, kind, and compassionate. Whatever job she had, she always did it well, but what mattered to her the most was her family and the people in her community. She was happiest when she could contribute to the happiness and well-being of others. She was always willing to lend a helping hand to those in need and when it was necessary, she was not reticent about taking on the cause of the underdog -- a trait she passed on to her two children, Mandy Welch and Hack Welch. In August 2001, Jo fell from the steps of her home in Hugo and sustained severe brain damage which resulted in substantial cognitive impairment. But it did not diminish her compassion or her humanitarian values which drove her interest in politics. In 2002, one of her doctors asked her whether her injury had affected how she felt, and after a brief moment of reflection, Jo responded, in all seriousness, "No I don’t think so, I’m still a Democrat". During the last years of her life, Jo was blessed with the extraordinary care and devotion of her caregivers, Tina Holt and Kim Akins. Even in her most difficult times, Tina and Kim showed her the same gentleness, care and compassion that Jo had shown to others throughout her life, and her family will be eternally grateful to them.
Jo is survived by her two children, Mandy and Hack; seven grandchildren, Natalie Welch of Dallas; Josh Welch of Oklahoma City: Scott Janow of Hawaii; Chad Payne of Austin, TX; Clint Payne of Shreveport, LA; Matthew Burr of Red Hook, NY; and Amanda Burr, New York, NY; four great-grandchildren, Taylor Smith, Dallas; Dylan and Roman Welch, Oklahoma City; and Abby Payne, Austin.
Donations in lieu of flowers, family requests that donations be made to the First United Methodist Church, 201 E. Kirk Street, Hugo, OK 74743 or your local food pantry, Sharing Hope for Hugo, c/o Carolyn Hicks, PO Box 625, Hugo, OK 74743.
Family will receive friends Friday, September 28, 2012, from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the Prater-Lampton-Mills & Coffey Chapel.
