Mary Jeanette "Jan" Moeller

Born Mary Jeanette McGuire on May 11, 1934, Jan grew up in Belmond, Iowa. As a child she developed a love of music, particularly piano, and she relished time spent in conversation with adults, especially with her mother, her Aunt Leta and Uncle Bill, and her favorite cousin, Virginia. Trips to Britt, Iowa, to visit her aunt, uncle, and Virginia, were among her most cherished memories.

After graduating from high school she attended Iowa State Teachers College in Cedar Falls, Iowa. There, she met her future husband, Robert Welsh, who was introduced to her by the priest at the university’s Newman Center. While still students, Jan and Bob married on June 6, 1955. They settled in Cedar Rapids, where Bob took a teaching job in the Cedar Rapids school district and later became an elementary school principal. Together they spent 18 years raising their family of eight children, remaining active at Immaculate Conception parish and their children’s schools.

Jan was known by friends and neighbors for her sewing, cooking, and especially her baking skills, and she enjoyed coffee, conversation, and sometimes cards with various groups of friends. She was a friend to many and very quick to smile. She loved to tease and be teased and enjoyed sharing jokes with friends.

Jan began teaching home economics in the Cedar Rapids schools, following Bob’s death in 1973. Teaching first at Roosevelt Junior High and later transferring to Jefferson High School, she took great pleasure in interacting with her students and passing along family life skills.

She met Alfred Moeller through church, and they married on June 21, 1980. In 1986, they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where several of her children had settled. Over the years she and Fred enjoyed watching their grandchildren grow and hosting their large family gatherings. Jan taught high school in Kansas City before retiring, and she and Fred were active members of their parish. After they both retired they became dedicated volunteers at St. Joseph Hospital, donating many hours of their time each week.

She was preceded in death by her parents Cyril and Mary McGuire; her sister Marilyn and brother Jack; and her husbands, Robert Welsh and Alfred Moeller. She is survived by her children, Mary Welsh, Catherine (Welsh) Koziar and her husband Bill, Theresa “Terry” Welsh-Owara and her husband Kris, James “Jim” Welsh, Annette (Welsh) Hedrick and her husband Tom, Joanne Welsh, Laurie (Welsh) Pusateri and her husband Joe, and Kristin Welsh, as well as her 10 grandchildren, Margeaux Knop; Megan Ritz; Brian and Katy Owara; Matthew Hedrick; and Alex, Nicholas, Anna, Nadia, and William Pusateri; and a great grandson James Ritz.

The Rosary will be prayed at 10am on Thursday, December 23, at St. Thomas More Catholic Church, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 10:30 am. Live stream of the Mass are available at McGilley State Line Chapel.com. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Little Sisters of the Poor or the Alzheimer’s Association.