Thomas Welder and Jeanne Marie Welder

On October 6, 2022, Tom and Jean Welder were taken from us by a tragic automobile accident in Mesa, AZ. Relatives and friends are invited to the visitation to be held on Sunday, October 16, 2022 from 5-8:00 p.m. at Valley of the Sun Mortuary 10940 East Chandler Heights Rd. Chandler, AZ 85248. A service will take place the following day, Monday, October 17, 2022 at 11:00 a.m. at Valley of the Sun Mortuary. Inurnments will take place at the North Dakota Veterans Cemetery Mandan, ND at a later date.

Thomas (Tom) (75) was born on April 12, 1947 in Zeeland ND, the oldest of 6 children to Peter and Lillian (Schatz) Welder. Jean (71) was born on September 27, 1951 in Bismarck, ND, child number 6 of 13 to Ray and Bernice (Bohls) O’Hara. Tom graduated from Zeeland High School and Jean graduated from Bismarck St. Mary’s High School.

Following college, Tom was drafted into the Army and served in Korea. Tom and Jean met while they were both employed at Midwest Motor Express in Bismarck. Their first date occurred over lunch where Tom offered Jean a can of tuna and some cherries. From there their love blossomed. They were married on the Free-Throw-Line in the original Corpus Christi Church, Bismarck on September 2, 1972. Corpus Christi’s first sanctuary was also the school gym.

Tom’s career as an accountant with Super Value started in Bismarck where their daughter Kathryn was born in February of 1976. They transferred to Brooklyn Park, MN where their son Sean was born in July of 1978. They later moved back to Bismarck where Jean worked for the ND Public Employees Retirement System and Tom completed his employment with Super Value. Then it was off to Dickinson where Jean worked for Armstrong Corporation and Tom worked for Kadrmas Lee & Jackson Engineering and Planning. Their last ND residence was in Bismarck. In 2017 they decided to trade the snow shovels for golf clubs and moved to Queen Creek, Arizona to be closer to their grandchildren.

Tom remained active with the Veteran’s community, organizing charitable events and decorating the community with flags on each of the holidays. He spent most days making friends and divots on the golf course and spoiling his granddaughters. Jean enjoyed listening to live music from their patio and always had coffee, chocolates, or a glass of wine ready for friends and neighbors to stop by.

Tom and Jean are survived by their daughter Kathryn O’Hara of Chandler, AZ, their son Sean (Rachael) Welder of Reno, NV, and granddaughters Sydney Dutchin of Cincinnati, OH and Samantha Dutchin of Chandler, AZ.

Jean is survived by her sisters, Pat Smith of Bismarck, Kathleen (Ray) Seidel, Denver, Julie (Rick) Tronson and Bridgette Braun, all of Devils Lake; and Mary Stephanie (Craig) Geinert, Helena, Mont.; her brothers, Dan (Sharon), Dallas, Dennis (Sharon) and Jim (Lisa), all of Denver, David, San Antonio, Texas, and Brian (Shelly), Dickinson.

Tom is survived by his sisters Anna Welder of Fargo, Bev Welder of Moorhead, MN and Bonnie (Rick) Siewert of Sioux Falls, SD; his brothers, Dick (Judi) of Alexandria, MN and Vern (Joyce) of Bismack.

Tom and Jean were preceded in death by their parents, Jean’s sisters Carolyn and Peggy (Jack) Schwichtenberg, and Jean’s brother-in-law John Smith.