Mary Patricia (Welch) Braden, 84, of Goff, KS, died December 23, 2007 at the Hiawatha Community Hospital.

Patricia, as she was known, was born March 24, 1923, the daughter of Patrick T. and M. Cecilia (Schmidt) Welch. During her childhood, she lived in several rural areas around Nemaha County, KS. She attended Sts. Peter & Paul Catholic School in Seneca, and graduated from Bancroft High School in 1942. After school, she helped various families with their newborn babies, as well as caring for the elderly. She also attended nurses training at the Sabetha Hospital, and worked for Dr. Capsey in Seneca, prior to her marriage.

On February 3, 1947, she married Ray C. Braden at Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Seneca. They had six children and enjoyed 26 years of marriage before Ray died on August 9, 1973. They lived and farmed southeast of Corning. She continued to live on the farm for many years, but eventually moved into Seneca. In the fall of 2006, she moved to Sabetha. While living on the farm, she was an Avon representative for 10 years for friends and family and was proud of all her service awards. She also worked at the Goff Café and assisted at the Head Start program in Seneca.

She was a member of the So & So Club in the Goff / Corning area, the American Legion Auxiliary in Corning, Sts. Peter and Paul Church and Altar Society in Seneca, and was a former member of St. Patrick’s Church and Altar Society in Corning.

Her hobbies included gardening, cooking and sewing, and spending time with her grandchildren. Patricia loved babies.

Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, and four brothers, Martin, Maurice, Donnie and Patrick.

Survivors include five daughters, Dorene Barngrover of Auburn, Kathryn Kelley of Topeka, Barbara Junod Short of Burlingame, Alice McClain of Goff, Charlene Kramer of Corning; a son, Edward Braden of Centralia; seven brothers; John of Rapid City, SD, Cecil of San Diego, CA, Elwyn of Kansas City, KS, Claude of Omaha, NE, Merle of Topeka, Lillis of Milwaukee, WI and Lauren of Manhattan; a sister, Regina Keehn of Topeka; 19 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.

Mass of Christian Burial will be offered at 10 AM Friday, December 28, at St. Patrick’s Catholic Church in Corning. Burial will be in the church cemetery. Rosaries will be prayed at 2 & 7 PM Thursday at Lauer Funeral Home in Seneca.

Memorial contributions can be made to the So & So Club, St. Patrick’s Cemetery, or for Masses in Patricia’s behalf, and may be sent in care of the family.