- Date Of Birth: April 24, 1919
- Date Of Death: March 26, 2015
- State: Michigan
With a gentle breeze off the Pacific caressing her face, Alice Fumiye Welch, age 95, died peacefully, Thursday morning, March 26, 2015, within the sight and sound of her beloved ocean on her treasured island. She was born April 24, 1919 in what was then the Territory of Hawaii, on the Island of O’ahu, the third child of seven and eldest daughter of Gunpei and Sumiye (Hori) Uyeda.
After World War II and ahead of her time, she demonstrated her independence by leaving her family and homeland to move to Chicago, Illinois to pursue a career in nursing. Through her roommate she met a handsome former soldier in town for a visit. On August 5, 1949, Alice and Victor Franklin Welch eloped to Ohio because that state did not require a waiting period.The newlyweds moved to the thriving northeast side of Detroit, Michigan to begin their life together and to build the only house they would live in for their entire marriage. Alice’s career as a Registered Nurse spanned more than three decades, both as a private duty nurse and an Emergency Room nurse (one of her sons in law still bears a scar from an encounter with her in the Saratoga General ER during the time he was dating her younger daughter).After thirty two years Victor preceded Alice in death.
Shortly thereafter, she returned to live on the west shore of the island that she always considered home. Alice was also preceded by one sister, Itsu Hayakawa; three brothers, Tsutomu Uyeda, Manabu Uyeda, Masahiro Uyeda; and one great granddaughter, Ashley Krom. Alice will be great missed by family and friends. She is survived by two daughters and sons in law, Karen and David Toutant of North Olmstead, Ohio, Lois and Eugene Wagner of Cassopolis, Michigan; four grandchildren; five great grandchildren; two sisters, Kiyoye Yamada and Hanaye Fukuda, both of Honolulu; three generations of nieces and nephews; and close family friend, Carolyn Gendernelle of Sterling Heights, Michigan.
