Obituary
March 12, 1945 – February 11, 2025
Linda Sue Welch (McMurray) passed away on February 11, 2025, in Waco, Texas, at the age of 79. She was born on March 12, 1945, also in Waco, Texas. Linda was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 28 years, Robert Wayne Welch, her father Jessie Lee McMurray, her mother Lucy Marie McMurray, Her mother-in-law Ollie Beatrice Welch and her brother-in-law Jerry Lee Welch.
She is survived by her daughter Jennifer Layne Welch of Fields Store, Texas, and her son Jeffery Wade Welch and his wife Dana Welch of Katy, Texas. Linda also leaves behind her cherished granddaughters, Taylor Marie Welch of Brenham, Texas, and Ashtyn Leigh Welch of De Leon, Texas. She is also survived by her brother Larry Ross McMurray and his wife Neysa Sue McMurray of Meridian, Texas, her brother-in-law David Don Welch and his wife Sandy of Dallas, Texas, her sister-in-law Linda Joyce Benner and her husband Jack of Tyler, Texas. Numerous nieces and nephews and great nieces and nephews also survive Linda.
She graduated from Waco High School in 1963, where she was an active member of Future Teachers of America, Pan American Student Forum, Press Club, WACOAN Staff, and served as an Office Assistant. After high school, she worked as a telephone operator and in 1966, married Robert Wayne Welch, her brother’s best friend and her soulmate.
Linda ran, or was involved in, simply everything. She made her house a home for her family. There wasn’t a time when things were messy, unkept or other than exquisite. She made cakes for every occasion you would need a cake for, grew a garden that rivaled all others, kept spectacular flower beds and refinished or painted every piece of furniture in the house. Jeffery and Jennifer knew there was always a project going on. She oversaw all things related to the Double M W (MMW) Ranch, a horse breeding and showing partnership between her father, herself and Robert. She kept all the records of the mares and their foals, she loved on all the babies, and she ran the barn, top to bottom. While Robert and Jennifer were in the show ring, she managed the tack changes at the gate and all the grooming. She never let a horse in the show ring that didn’t look like a super star.
Linda orchestrated every family move for Robert’s job – from Dallas to Ft. Worth to Gainesville to Callisburg to Burleson to College Station (all three homes there) – turning each new house into a home filled with warmth and beauty. She packed, she organized, she unpacked, and she created perfect, loving homes for the family and all creatures great and small, the horses, the dogs, the barn cats and anything else Jeffery and Jennifer wanted. She taught her children that moving was a great opportunity for growth and new friendships while keeping old friends in distant towns close.
When Jeffery and Jennifer were younger, she was the soccer mom, the baseball mom, the cross-country mom, the home room mom, the Blue Bird mom, the drill team mom, and of course the chauffeur. She handed out chores to Jeffery and Jennifer and kept all things working, on schedule and clean. She was a seamstress like no other, much to the chagrin of her children on many occasions as she made most of their clothes for a good portion of their lives. Jeffery recalls having the best Halloween costumes ever and Jennifer recalls her making every pageant dress, every recital costume and finally giving up sewing after months of hand-beading Jennifer’s wedding dress. Jennifer “volunteered” her mom for drill team day wear and costumes and even in college she had Linda design the Aggie Wrangler uniforms that they wore for over 15 years, well after Jennifer had graduated.
Her kindness extended beyond her immediate family, earning her the title of “Mom” to many of Jeffery and Jennifer’s friends. She made everyone feel welcome, special and loved.
As her children grew up, she spent less time being Mom-on-Demand and more time serving her community. She generously donated her time for multiple charities in Bryan-College Station. She was President of the Brazos County A&M Mothers’ Club and served the Federation as well. Moreover, she found herself chairing the Decorating Committee for every major fundraiser during the 80’s and 90’s. After Robert passed, she volunteered with a local floral shop in Bryan and was asked, with Eddie Deen, to decorate the Texas and Wyoming Ball for President George W. Bush’s first inauguration. Education was important to Linda and Robert and her impact was felt by many students as she helped with their tuition. An avid reader, Linda’s love of books was legendary among her family. She would read a book a day depending on her social schedule.
She was independent like her mother, strong-willed and did things her own way. She was raised in the Baptist community and taught her children that loving everyone was the most important thing. She felt all people and all faiths were equal and encouraged her children to come to their faith in their own way and time.
Her greatest pride was in her granddaughters, whom she adored beyond measure. They brought her immense joy, and she proudly shared their accomplishments. She thought Taylor and Ashtyn were smart, talented and beautiful; she admired the independent young women they had become. Nothing made her happier than seeing them succeed and grow into their own unique paths in life.
Linda’s love, strength and many talents will be deeply missed and forever remembered. Her family knows that Robert was waiting for her, and it would be her greatest joy to be with him in Heaven.
On Monday, March 3rd at 11:30am, an intimate service will be held at the City of College Station Cemetery, 2530 Texas Avenue South, College Station, TX 77840. A Celebration of Linda’s life will be held at 1:00pm at The Embassy Suites, 201 University Drive, East, College Station, Texas 77840. Please join the family for lunch there.
In memoriam, please consider donating to Larry J. Ringer Library, 1818 Harvey Mitchell Pkwy. S., College Station, TX 77845, (979) 209-5600 on behalf of Linda Sue Welch.
