Frances (Lewis) Dowling Welch, 94, of 1291 Wendy Road, Rock Hill, SC 29732, died at her home on December 16, 2023.
A Memorial Service will be held at 11 a.m. on January 13, 2024 at Greene Funeral Home Northwest Chapel, 2133 Ebenezer Road, Rock Hill, SC, with Reverend Al Areheart officiating. A visitation will follow after the Memorial Service.
Frances was born on September 20, 1929 in Spartanburg, SC, to the late Henry Harrison Lewis and the late Viola Mae Barnett Lewis. She graduated from Spartanburg High School in 1946, then worked at The Leader department store in Spartanburg. In 1950 she married Joel Frampton Dowling, Jr. After their two daughters, Martha Frances Dowling and Susan Clare Dowling, were born, the family moved to Rock Hill, SC. Frances worked for Celanese Corporation in Rock Hill from 1955 to 1985 doing physical tests, time studies, and statistics. After retiring from Celanese, she volunteered with Hospice and with Hope in Rock Hill, and she was a docent at the Museum of York County. She was a member of Oakland Baptist Church for many years, later moving her membership to West End Baptist. She served on the board of the Catawba Community Mental Health Foundation as Treasurer from 1997 to 2017.
Frances was preceded in death by her first husband, Joel F. Dowling, Jr, in October 1967. In February of 1991 she married Gwyn Carl “GC” Welch, who died in January 2012. She was also preceded in death by one step-daughter, Gwenda Welch Karnazes; a step-granddaughter, Wendy Harris Green; and three siblings, Don Lewis, Dorothy Burgess, and Mildred Upton.
She is survived by her younger brother, Ray Keith Lewis and his wife Linda of Rock Hill. She is also survived by her two daughters and sons-in-law, Martha Dowling Rieman and her husband Jim Riemen of Fairhope, AL, and Susan Dowling Ness and her husband Jim Ness of Rock Hill. Her surviving step-children are Kathy Welch Reece and her husband Jim Reece of Zionville, NC, Pamela Welch Poag of Rock Hill, and son-in-law George Karnazes of Charleston, SC. Frances leaves behind four grandchildren, Max Rieman (Jillian) of New Orleans, Van Rieman (Kaitlynne) of Santa Rosa Beach, FL, Erik Ness (Rachel) of Rock Hill, and April Birdsong (Anthony Birdsong) of Charlotte, NC; eight step-grandchildren, Ben Harris (Susan), Jason Poag (Brandy), Laura Poag, Susan Randall (Will Randall), David Poag (Jennifer), George Karnazes, and Christopher Karnazes, along with six great grandchildren, fourteen step great-children, and beloved nieces and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made in Mrs. Frances D. Welch’s name to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, www.stjude.org or to Hospice and Community Care, P.O. Box 993, Rock Hill, SC, 29731.
Condolences may be made at greenefuneralhome.net.