Timothy Louis Welna, 71

Timothy Louis Welna went to be with the Lord on December 5, 2023. He was born to Marvin and Shirley Welna on November 18, 1952, in Minneapolis, MN, the second oldest child out of five siblings.

Tim graduated from Little Falls Senior High in 1971 and got an Associate of Applied Sciences degree in Natural Resources Conservation at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, in 1974. From there, he studied biblical studies at Pillsbury Bible College from 1975 to 1977. Then, he went to Central Theological Seminary in Minneapolis, MN, from 1977 to 1978.

He married the love of his life, Diane Pederson, on January 6th, 1978, in Minneapolis, MN. They moved to Duluth, MN, where he attended the University of Minnesota for pre-engineering from 1978 to 1980. Tim's first-born son Ben was born in Duluth in 1980. Then, the family moved to Fargo, North Dakota, in 1980, where he completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering. It was here that his daughter Katie was born in 1982.

Tim joined the Air Force in 1983, and the family moved to Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Michigan. He received two letters of appreciation from two commanders for his excellent workmanship, perseverance, and dedication. He was honorably discharged as a 1st Lieutenant in 1987. Tim then began his 30-year-long career working for the Bureau of Land Management in Montana, where he built recreation and fishing access sites.

Tim and his family settled in Miles City, MT, in 1987. His youngest son, Luke, was born in Miles City in 1994. Tim continued his career with the BLM but moved with his family to Butte, MT, in 1999 and then to Whitehall, MT, in 2005, where he officially retired in 2012.

During their time in Butte and Whitehall, he spent time at the Butte Rescue Mission, sharing the gospel with the homeless people who sheltered there. He was also passionate about ministering to individuals with brain injuries at Liberty Place in Whitehall, MT. In typical Tim fashion, he befriended them. He took them for rides, did Bible studies, and spent time with them.

Tim and Diane sold their house in Whitehall in 2018 and traveled the country while they waited for their house in Hernando, Florida, to be built. They moved to Hernando in April 2021, where they met many wonderful people. Tim really enjoyed all the fishing he could do in Florida, and Diane absolutely loved the climate.

Growing up, Tim is remembered by his siblings as being fun-loving, adventurous, fearless, and mischievous. He always loved fishing; the outdoors was "his happy place." Tim made friends everywhere he went. He could initiate a conversation with anyone and was the true epitome of the saying, "he never met a stranger." Tim was never one to sit still unless he had a good book about the Arctic or the adventures of Lewis and Clark in his hand. He preferred to be outside exploring new places, fishing in his favorite spots, or meeting new people. He always had a good story to tell!

Tim loved studying the Bible and had taught Sunday School in some of his former churches. Tim and his daughter Katie went on a mission trip to Mexico in 1999, where they helped build houses for families in need. In 2005, he spent some time in Hattiesburg, MS, helping clean up the devastation left behind by Hurricane Katrina. In 2009, Tim traveled to Cameroon, Africa, where he helped build clean water filtration systems for local villages. He returned to Africa in 2015 with his wife Diane on a special hunting safari in South Africa.

Tim and Diane also became certified scuba divers together in their retirement years! They went to the Dominican Republic in 2019, where they helped a missionary couple build a house. While there, they put their scuba diving skills to use. They also went scuba diving at a lake in Minnesota while at a family reunion in 2019. Some things went wrong on this dive, and Diane nearly drowned. Tim was her hero, giving everything he had to save her until others could help.

Recently, he had started playing chess against his sons online, which resulted in a healthy dose of teasing and banter. He was a patriot, a good friend, a teasing brother, a loving husband, a faithful son, an adventurous father, and a special grandfather. He loved God and his family. He enjoyed his four grandchildren immensely. Hide and seek was a favorite with the kids, along with wrestling, tickling, shoulder rides, fishing, boating, and hiking. His oldest granddaughter, Aria, gave him the name Bapa when she was just a year old, and the name stuck. Tim was our beloved Bapa.

Tim Welna was preceded in death by his mother, Shirley Welna, his nephew, Jack Flavin, his Uncles, Hilary Welna and Jean Welna, and his cousin, John Welna.

He is survived by his wife, Diane Welna; his son Ben (Kate) Welna, granddaughter Amari; his daughter Katie (Thomas) Burke, granddaughter Aria, grandson Emmanuel; his son Luke (Savannah) Welna, granddaughter Violet; his father, Marvin Welna; his siblings John Welna, Barb (Shawn) Flavin, Nancy Welna, and Julie (Al) Miller; Uncle Louis (Judy) Welna; Uncle John (Edith) Rylander; Aunt Arlyce (Ken) Anderson; Aunt Joyce (Bob) Morris; numerous special nieces, nephews, and cousins.

A memorial service will be held on June 22, 2024, at the Butte Community Bible Church (2210 Florence Ave in Butte). Visitation will be from 9 to 11 AM, with the service beginning at 11 AM. A luncheon will be provided after the service. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Liberty Place Inc. (PO Box 446 Whitehall, MT 59759).