Lucille Bernadine Welschmeyer, of Freeburg, passed away on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at SSM St. Mary’s Hospital in Jefferson City at the age of 82. Born in Jefferson City on December 18, 1943, she was the daughter of the late Louis and Catherine (Suthoff) Hoelscher.
Throughout her life, Welschmeyer balanced a professional career with her dedication to her family. She was employed by the State of Missouri Division of Employment Security as an Appeals Clerk while working as a devoted housewife and mother. Beyond her career, she was involved in her local community as a member of the Holy Family Catholic Church, the Quilting Club, and the Ladies Auxiliary of the American Legion in Freeburg. Family members recall her finding joy in gardening, cooking, baking, and creating lasting memories with her loved ones.
Family History and Survivors
On August 29, 1964, she married Richard Welschmeyer in Osage Bend, beginning a union that spanned 62 years. Together, they raised two daughters, Linda Johnson, who resides with her husband Eric in Visalia, California, and Ann Pondrom, who lives with her husband Aaron in Dixon, Missouri.
Welschmeyer’s life was also marked by the loss of her parents, her brother Clarence Hoelscher, her sister Catherine Bruemmer, her sister Sister Rose Virginia Hoelscher, two infants Andrew and Bernard Hoelscher, and two infant grandsons, Isaac Pondrom and Jax Johnson.
She is survived by her husband, Richard; her children; her two daughters and sons-in-law; six grandchildren, Isabella Pondrom, Sevee Johnson, Rhett Johnson, Carter Pondrom, Cort Johnson, and Sophia Johnson; one brother, Irvin Hoelscher of Jefferson City; and one sister, Dorothy Veit of Jefferson City, alongside many other relatives and friends.
Funeral Services and Memorial Arrangements
Visitation is scheduled for Sunday, October 4, 2026, from 5:00 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Freeburg, followed by a prayer service. Additional visitation will be held on Monday, October 5, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. until the Mass of Christian Burial at 10:00 a.m. at the same location, with Rev. William Debo celebrating.
Inurnment will follow at the Holy Family Cemetery in Freeburg. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of the Birmingham-Martin Funeral Home in Vienna, Missouri. The family suggests memorial contributions to the Holy Family Quilting Club or the Holy Family Catholic School Expansion Fund.
