Memorial Park Funeral Home
www.memorialparkfuneralandcemetery.com
Della Marie "May" Welch Bartlett. Departed this life to be with the Lord on October 20, 2018 at age 103. May was preceded in death by her husband, Emmett Milton Bartlett, her mother, Ardella Waits Welch, father John Ira Welch, stepfather Adam Rankin Welch, sisters Virginia, Lucy, Inez and Alice, brothers Samuel, Ira, Ezra, Conley, Ray, Orthel, and John. She was survived by many nephews, nieces and extended family, including Carolyn Ann Collins Webb (Bobby), J. O. McGovern, Marion Thomas Collins, Jr. (Martha) of Franklin, Michael Edward Collins (Marva) of Nashville and John Steven Collins (Gail) of Knoxville.
May was born October 2, 1915 in Franklin Parish, LA, the eighth child of John and Ardella Welch. After her father died in 1933, and her mother remarried, May moved to Memphis where she met and married Emmett Bartlett.
After high school, May attended Draughn's Business School. May worked as a legal secretary with a Memphis law firm, then for 35 years served as clerk for the Shelby County Court. She was widely known among area judges and lawyers and was recognized as Legal Secretary of Year for her accomplishments in the legal community. May lived in her own home until 99. She was an avid reader of the news starting each day with magnifying glass and Memphis Commercial Appeal in hand. May enjoyed calling city and county officials to give them her suggestions on what the right thing to do was.
May was a long-time member of Germantown Baptist Church.
Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery and Funeral Home, 5668 Poplar Avenue in Memphis with the visitation at 10:00 am Tuesday October 23 with graveside at 11:00.
Contributions may be made to the Memphis Jewish Home and Rehab (36 Bazeberry Road, Cordova, TN 38018) where May spent her final years.
LINKS
The Commercial Appeal
http://www.commercialappeal.com
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