Edith Welch's Obituary
Edith was born in Mineola, Texas on August 4, 1932 and was second oldest of four daughters. The family moved to Longview while she was young and lived in the house that her father had built. She and her sisters, along with their dad, sang at church and sometimes on the radio.
She attended Pine Tree schools. Her career began after she and her sister Claudette went to Dallas for training as telephone operators. Her work was interrupted frequently by a young man whose company's phone rang into her switchboard section. She was forced to answer his calls. He finally figured out what time she got off and waited outside the telephone company. He met Claudette first, and she talked Edith into meeting Deo. After a whirlwind romance, they eloped to Texarkana, Texas. They were married December 28, 1951, despite his fibbing about his age, being one month short of his 'legal' birthday. After the birth of their children Delphine and Deo III, they began their life of adventure. Deo was a man who was always ready for the challenge of a new job. So they frequently moved when he would get a new work opportunity.
Their lives changed forever in 1960 when they moved back to Longview. Deo met the charismatic pastor D. L. Spears of the Pentecostal church. He decided he would go to church with Edith 'just to be nice'. Her many prayers were answered when God filled Deo with the Holy Ghost. They became a powerful team of workers for the Kingdom of God. Their relocations to various towns continued. They consistently 'plugged in' to every local church where Deo would serve as an outreach worker and Edith would teach Sunday School.
The most exciting outreach effort for Delphine and her brother 'Dew' was when Deo brought home a runaway boy from the street. His name was Bob Bentley. Deo explained to Edith that they needed to give him a home for a few days. Without hesitation she took Bob in. Bob would play the guitar and sing for the family. Delphine and 'Dew' thought having an 'older brother' was grand. He lived with the family until he was able to find a job and a place to live on his own. Her and Deo's legacy lives on because that young man became a missionary to Russia where many souls were saved...all because Edith was willing to share her home.
After her children left home, she decided to try a new career. She became an LVN and worked at Sabine Valley Mental Health Clinic. Later she worked as a home health nurse for Good Shepherd Hospital.
When Deo got a job with Steiner Corporation of Chicago, their adventure really began. They bought a motor home and headed for the open road. Deo worked his sales job, and Edith spent her days working on her college correspondence courses, reading her Bible, writing letters to family and friends, or shopping at antique stores. It was then that she began her new hobby of collecting china. If she saw a set with an interesting pattern, color, or design, she would buy whatever pieces the store had for sale. She ended up with about 25 large and small sets. Her grandson Richard III was born during the motor home period. He became a well-travelled toddler. Edith and Deo travelled from coast to coast and from the borders of Mexico to Canada several times.
After the motor home years ended, they settled down in their Longview 'forever after' home, where Edith's greatest pleasure was entertaining family and friends who came to visit. She especially loved welcoming her grandchildren. She and Deo believed that a fun-filled day should always end with a bowl of ice cream.
However, Edith had one more career to experience before completely taking it easy. When Deo was unable to continue teaching his defensive driving classes, Edith decided to step in and take over. She put her public speaking and entertaining skills to work, keeping the adults as well as teenagers on their toes during her classes. Unsurprisingly, a TV station called and featured her in a local interest story. She entrusted her son Deo with her classes when she decided to quit working for good. She was a tough act to follow. Edith and Deo were married 65 years when he died in 2016. She never quite got over his passing. Even when dementia started to overcome her, she still had a loving and spunky personality. Despite the fact that she didn't always remember exactly who we were, she would love a good sing-along with her granddaughter Katherine. She could remember the words to 'Yellow Rose of Texas' and 'Deep in the Heart of Texas'. But her favorite song was 'Jambalaya and Crawfish Pie...On the Bayou'. She died peacefully with her loving daughter by her side on June 26, 2026.
She was preceded in death by her parents Lin and Precious Mary Jane McWhorter, and her sisters Lois Stanford, Claudette Stairs, and Alice Dryden, as well as Grandbaby Hammer. Her heritage lives on in her daughter Delphine Welch Hammer (Richard, Jr.), son Deo E. Welch III (Kirston), grandchildren Dawn Renee Martin (Josh), Chris Stanley (Kat), Richard Hammer III (Nina Chu), Precious Katherine Welch Hammer, Kirstiana Dawn Dittman (Robert), and Kaige Diane Welch. And she is survived by three great-children. Edith's family extends thanks to the staff of Heartsway Hospice. And we express special gratitude to niece Lace Craddock for her compassionate care.
A graveside service for Edith's homegoing is at 1pm Friday, July 3, 2026 at the Rosewood Park Mausoleum in Longview, under the direction of Rader Funeral Home.
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