Gloria Ann Hill was born on August 29, 1931, near Mt. View, Oklahoma, to Lois G. and Lillie Mae (Witten) Hill. She passed from this life on November 22, 2022, at the age of 91 years. Gloria moved frequently all of her life. She lived in Mt. View, Oklahoma, Carnegie, Oklahoma, and Beaumont, Texas. Then at the end of the first semester of her sophomore year, she moved to Oklahoma City. There she attended Capitol Hill High School through her senior year, graduating in 1948. Gloria and John Welch were united in marriage October 30, 1948, and would have been married 72 years in 2020, when John passed away. Gloria and John have five children, Kathie Lynn Hood, Jane Ellen Bagerian, Jerry Bob Welch, and twin sons who passed away after living just a few hours.
Throughout John and Gloria’s married life they lived in Oklahoma City, Spencer, Oklahoma, and Dallas, Texas. Then John served pastoral appointments at Pond Creek, Maysville, Pryor, McAlester, Clinton, and Altus, Oklahoma, before moving to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, for eight years where John served as District Supt. and Gloria served as his secretary and office manager. Even though it was not a paying job, Gloria typed hundreds of sermons and bulletins over the many years. Gloria worked at Southwestern Bell, Clinton Chamber of Commerce, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol to name a few jobs throughout the years. Gloria and John retired and moved to Norman, Oklahoma, where they lived and attended McFarlin United Methodist Church until her health required her to move to Purcell closer to family, and then to Lexington Nursing Home where she lived until her passing. Gloria loved being a minister’s wife and enjoyed the many clubs that she was a member of throughout the years.
Gloria is preceded in death by her husband, John, and infant twin sons; her parents; her sister, Theta Deloris Mock and her husband, Frank; her cousin, who was like a sister, Betty Ruth Kidd and her husband, Don; in-laws, Loyd and Helen Welch; a special aunt and uncle, Buck and Billie Leary; brother-in-law, Loyd Welch and wife, Donna; brother-in-law, Bill Cockrell; and sister-in-law, Carol Welch.
Gloria is survived by daughters, Kathy L. Hood and husband, Jack, of Purcell, Oklahoma and Jane Bagerian and husband, Chris, of Dallas, Texas; son, Jerry B. Welch of Moore, Oklahoma; sister-in-law, Billie Cockrell of Oklahoma City; brother-in-law, Joe Welch of Lenexa, Kansas; cousins, Donna Patterson and husband, David, of Sapulpa, Oklahoma and JoAnn Johnson and husband, Jim, of Midwest, Oklahoma.
Gloria is also survived by grandchildren, Stacy Carter, Kelly Romesburg and husband, Garret, and Tiffany Amber Jessee. Also Erich Hood and wife, Jennifer, Robin Rist and husband, Marvin, Cory Hood and wife, Rachel, Benjamin Hood, and Kelly Staller and husband. Clark; great-grandchildren, Jillian Langford and husband, Caleb, Taylor Farrell, Kamdyn and Karter Stokes and Hudson Romesburg; Madison and Makayla Jessee. Also Tristen, Julien, Erica and Neo Hood; Nicole and Rheanin Rist; Alex Hood and Haleigh, and Jordan Hood; Ulysses and Ryker Staller. Also, precious great-great-granddaughters, McKenna Shea Lynn Self and Aria Lynn Acasia Salas, and a little boy to be born in February, 2023, that Gloria was so excited about.
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m., Friday, December 2, 2022, at the First United Methodist Church, Maysville, Oklahoma, under the direction of John W. Williams of Winans Funeral Home, Maysville. Words of comfort may be sent to the family at www. winansfuneralhome.com.
