Margaret Welker

Margaret Irene Welker, formerly of Millbury, Westboro, and Ft. Pierce Florida, passed away on Monday, September 19th. She was known as 'Peg' by most of the people in her life.  She leaves behind daughters, Barbara Therrien, Nancy Therrien & husband David, Jean & husband Peter Ingrassia, son, Alan Beaudoin & wife Mary, daughter Susan Holmes & husband Scot. Grandchildren Michael Therrien, Laura Therrien, Jenifer Langley & husband Andrew, Joel Therrien & wife Sharon, Jon Therrien & wife Venessa, Jason Beaudoin & wife Patty, Julie Castillo & husband Steve, Jeffrey Beaudoin & wife Donna, and Ethan Holmes, step grandchildren Tammy Malinoski, Frank Czaplicki, Timothy Czaplicki, Melanie Czaplicki, She also leaves her loving brother, Ken Higginbottom and her last sister-in-law Yvonne Beaudoin, both of Millbury. She had twenty-three great grandchildren, six great, great grandchildren, and many nieces & nephews, all who will miss her dearly.

She was predeceased by her husband, Romeo Edward Beaudoin, also of Millbury, and Clyde Welker, of Illinois, whom she met in Florida, several years after Romeo had passed.

“The Energizer Bunny” could best describe her. After spending the last year in Blackstone Valley Health & Rehabilitation nursing facility, she made many new friends. Staff and residents alike could attest that it was always hard keeping up with Peg's little feet going down the hall.

As soon as she became of age to work, she was working in the warehouse at Buck’s Brother’s Tool Co. of Millbury. After High School she used her skills to work as a teacher’s aide and study for an accounting certificate from Salter Secretarial School. She went on to work in the accounting department at Melville Shoe Co. She later transferred to Bay State Abrasive Co. starting in the factory, moving into filing room, then was promoted to customer service and sent to a satellite campus of Cornell University for Comptometer School, earning a certificate of proficiency. That granted her a promotion, sending messages through Western Union to their overseas operations. After her family was grown she went to Iandoli’s Supermarket, working first in the meat department, changing to the lunch counter, then working her way to bakery manager, where she was called upon to bake a cake for Bobby Orr on a visit to Westboro. She represented that business on their bowling team, achieving an impressive score of 299! During her leisure time she loved sewing, cooking, playing games, and doing word search puzzles, but most of all spending time with her family & friends. Her travels took her to Hawaii, England, Austria, Canada and many places here in the states. Fulfilling her 101st birthday wish list, she was able to be the co-pilot during a helicopter ride over Cape Cod in May of this year.

She was predeceased by her mother, Sarah Higginbottom, who died when Peg was only eighteen months old, her father, Harry Higginbottom, and her wonderful stepmother, Maria Higginbottom, her first husband, Romeo Beaudoin, son-in-law Kenneth Adrian, and granddaughter Joline Beaudoin, along with her second husband, Clyde Welker & his four children Michael, Sherrie, Jill & Steven, and step granddaughter Lisa Czaplicki.

Family and friends are invited to celebrate Margaret’s life by gathering for a time of visitation on Friday, Sept. 23rd from 9:30 to 11:00 a.m. in Mulhane Home for Funerals, 45 N. Main Street in Millbury.  Her funeral service will follow at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral home and burial will be in Notre Dame Cemetery, Worcester.