**UPDATE** Due to impending snow storm this weekend, this service has been postponed to Monday, January 15th.  Please see service details listed below

Rock City – Donald Frederick Welling, born December 9, 1935 in Freeport, Illinois, died on January 6, 2024 at FHN Memorial Hospital.  He was the only child to Merrill and Elsie (Wehrenberg) Welling.  He graduated Dakota High School in 1953 where he was active in basketball, baseball and FFA.  After high school he graduated from Agriculture Farm Shortcourse in Madison , WI.  He married his high school sweetheart, Annabelle (Maize) Welling on March 4, 1955 and together they built a life on their dairy farm in Dakota, IL.

Donald was a member of the TriState Breeders, Dairy Herd Improvement, and the Farm Bureau Association. He was the leader of the Dakota Big 4 /4H Club for 20 years.  He was active with the Winneshiek Free Church serving as Sunday School Superintendent and class leader for 40 years.  He was a part of the Church softball league and the Freeport Senior Citizen bowling league. Don was an avid Chicago Cubs and Bears fan.  After retirement he enjoyed traveling with Annabelle to various locations in the US and Canada.

His survivors include is wife, Annabelle; 4 children, Jeffrey of Chadwick, Deborah (Rey) Mercado of Burbank, IL; David (LuAnn) Welling of Dakota and Lisa (Barry) Euler of Pearl City. His legacy includes 3 grandsons, Cody, Brian and Derek Welling of Dakota, and granddaughter Bryanna Euler of Pearl City.  He also leaves behind 1 step grandson, Gunnar Euler, 1 step granddaughter Hanna (Euler) Hoffman and 3 step great grandsons, Grayson, Gannon and Ford.  His survivors also include brother in laws, Lyle (Deborah) Maize, Delmar (Linda) Maize and sister in law, Marcia Maize as well as many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Preceding him in death are Donald's parents, Merrill and Elsie Welling; his mother and father in law, Emma and Donald Maize, brother and sister in laws, Florence Fawver, Lawrence Maize, Deloris Martz, Pauline Sager, Carol Contardi and Jerry Maize.

There will be a visitation held on Monday, January 15th at Winneshiek Evangelical Free Church from 10am-12pm with a service to immediately follow at 12 pm also at the church .  His final resting place will be at Dakota Cemetery.  A memorial has been established for the Winneshiek Church and the Alzheimer's Research Foundation.  The family is being assisted by the Daughenbaugh Funeral Home of Dakota. Condolences can be left for the family at www.walkermortuary.com.