Eleanor Falkowski Welsh passed away on Feb. 4, 2023, as a resident of Hanceville Nursing & Rehab, in Hanceville, Alabama. Eleanor was born in Loraine, Ohio, and as a family they moved to Brooklyn, New York, where Eleanor became Class President at Brooklyn High School. Many times, she bragged about how courageously and ambitiously she fought against a new Catholic school recently built wanting to combine the graduating classes. She fought and won their right to retain their all-girl school individuality. In doing so, they graduated with their all-girl class as a family without any new classmates.
Eleanor’s dad arrived in America aboard ship via Ellis Island. When her mother married Julious Falkowski, due to immigration laws at that time, she lost her citizenship. Later she became a native-born, naturalized American citizen. During WWII Eleanor became an office worker version of Rosie the Riveter and was also a Volunteer USO member entertaining troops.
Retiring in Cullman, Alabama, in 1980 turned out to be their destiny. They ventured out and became members of everything in the Cullman community and were faithful servants of Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ. She was a loving mother to three sons and one daughter.
Eleanor was involved in everything she could and was a fantastic artist and singer. The posters, when she sang for the USO, had been lost in the tornado of 1988 along with most memorabilia from her early life.
Eleanor was preceded in death by her husband, soulmate, and best friend, William “Bill” Welsh in 2022. They were married for 74 years. They were elected longest married couple in Alabama in 2020. Thank you Cindy and Mark.
Eleanor was also preceded in death by her son, Glenn Welsh; father, Julious Falkowski; mother, Josephine Rogalski Falkowski; sister, Helen Hnat; brothers, Steven Falkowski and Joseph Falkowski.
She is survived by sons, Gary (Rose) Welsh and John Welsh; daughter, Janet (Curtis) Doyle; grandsons, Billy (Lakeisha) Welsh and Zack Welsh; two granddaughters, Jessi (Chris) Brogan and Juliet Welsh; and one great-grandson, Lawrence Brogan.
