Ozuette Gay Welch
Ozuette Gay Welch passed away Monday, April 19, 2010 at the age of 96 in the home of her son and daughter-in-law Patrick and Patricia Welch in Duncan, Oklahoma. She surrendered to a long struggle with conjestive heart failure. Ozuette was born December 29, 1913 in Shelby County, Texas to Samuel Bert Gay and Sarah "Bannie" Phillips Gay of Panola and Shelby County, Texas, the 5th child of 5 girls and 5 boys. The family moved to Oklahoma when she was 4 years old and farmed in Nowata County up to her early teen years. In 1930 the family moved to the Beam school area where she met and married Jim Henry Welch. They farmed there for about 13 years, raising 3 children before moving to Waurika in 1947. She became active in several aspects of the community where she worked as secretary of the First Baptist Church for 22 years, was a member of the Eastern Star Sorority and Rebecca Lodge, and gave her time as a volunteer "Pink Lady" at the Waurika Hospital through her later life before retiring to Duncan at the age of 93.
She was preceded in death by her husband Jim Welch, two of her sisters, all five of her brothers, her grandson, Jim Leland Welch, and by her only daughter and son-in-law, Ruth Yvonne Welch Ivy and "Red" Ivy.
She is survived, in immediate family, by her sisters Nancy Gay Beilue, of Santa Clara, New Mexico and Itaska Gay Wirt of Wichita Falls, Texas. Also by her sons and daughters-in-law, Don and Esther Salley Welch of Las Cruces, New Mexico and Patrick and Patricia Qualls Welch of Duncan, Oklahoma and by Patricia's brother, E.J. Rush of Duncan, Oklahoma.
Her ancestral line is followed by 8 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-grandchildren.
The family will receive friends Thursday, April 22, 2010 from 6:30-8:00p.m. at Dudley Funeral Home in Waurika, OK. Funeral Services will by held on Friday, April 23, 2010 at 10:30a.m. at the First Baptist Church with the Rev. Jeff McLemore and Rev. Audie Dorrough officiating. Interment will follow at the Waurika Cemetery by the side of her husband of 55 years, Jim Henry Welch.