Billie Geraldine Herron-Welch

Billie Geraldine was born on August 13, 1927 in Bakersfield, CA to Jewel Ann (Bond) and Walter E. Patterson. She had one older brother, Ronald and one younger brother, Don. She moved to Texas at the age of 4 and moved back to Bakersfield at the age of 11. She lived in Arvin, CA growing up after that. She graduated from Bakersfield High School in Bakersfield, CA in 1945 and worked for a short time as a telephone operator.

Billie married Dewey Floyd Herron on March 4, 1950 in Bakersfield, CA. They lived in Bakersfield most of their life together except for a brief time that they spent in Oklahoma. They had 2 daughters, Marsha and Kim. Floyd and Billie liked to travel in their motor home, ride their motorcycle on trips, and spending time with their grandchildren. They were married for 41 years until he passed away in 1991

In 1994, Billie married Alver Wesley Welch in Bakersfield, CA. They moved to Sutherlin, Oregon in 1995 and they lived there until his death in 2009.

In 2010, she moved to Colleyville, TX to live with her daughter Kim. She lived there until her death on December 8th, 2011.

Billie was a long time member of the Church of Christ, in Oildale, CA, Sutherlin, OR, and Grapevine, TX. She was always very active as a Sunday school teacher, vacation Bible school teacher, Ladies Bible Class, and a deacon’s wife. She was a very faithful Christian lady.

Always active in her girl’s lives, Billie was involved in school activities such as PTA and being a room mother. She was a Bluebird leader and Camp Fire Girls leader for many years, spending lots of time camping and doing many crafts. If there was a function of her children or grand-children, from ball games to choir concerts, Billie was there to support and cheer them on. She traveled all over the USA, from California and Oregon to Texas and Hawaii to visit and keep in touch with her wandering children and grand-children.

When not helping her family, Billie spent her time helping and caring for others. In Bakersfield, she helped her friend down the street with cooking and cleaning when she got older. While in Oregon, she was very active in volunteering at the VA hospital with the Ladies Auxiliary. She took care of her mother, her mother-in-law and her second husband, who had Parkinson Disease.

Although Billie traveled extensively in her life, she was a home body at heart. She loved cooking. She also spent many hours sewing and enjoyed making clothes and quillows for her children and grandchildren. Melissa still uses her quillow every night after taking it to college and on mission trips around the world. Billie spent any other spare time that she had crocheting, making about dozens of afghans for family members, friends and men at the VA hospital. In the last months of her life she finished at least 12 crocheted scarves for the Grapevine Church’s Coat Drive.

Billie loved making things grow. Floyd once told her that if she put a broom handle into the ground, it would grow. She always had a beautiful garden. She loved azaleas, gladiolas and carnations. This last summer she helped her daughter, Marsha in her garden, weeding, picking and even canning vegetables.

She is preceded in death by her mother, Jewel Patterson; her father, Walter Patterson; her husband, Dewey Floyd Herron; her husband, Alver Wesley Welch; and her great-grand-daughter, Tenley Jean Trahan.

She is survived by 2 brothers, Ronald Patterson of Old Town, Florida and Don Patterson of Live Oaks, Florida; 2 daughters and their husbands, Marsha and Martin Trahan of Gridley, CA and Kim and Ron Montgomery of Colleyville, TX; 3 granddaughters and their spouses, Amanda and Joshua Pelfrey of Gridley, CA, Melissa and Marshall Richert of Bakersfield, CA and Michelle and Jason McNees of Bakersfield, CA; 3 grandsons, Justin and wife Kristi Trahan of Bakersfield, CA, Dustin Trahan of Gridley, CA and Michael Montgomery of Colleyville, TX; and a great-granddaughter, Mattie Pelfrey of Gridley; and many nieces and nephews.

Billie passed away on December 8, 2011 in Grapevine, Texas after learning in October that she had Acute Myeloid Leukemia. Graveside services will be held in Bakersfield, California on December 28th at 11:00am at Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery with a lunch and slideshow afterwards at the Westside Church of Christ. There will also be a short memorial service at the Grapevine Church of Christ, date is still pending.

In lieu of flowers we ask you donate to one of the following in her name:

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

North Texas Chapter

8111 LBJ Freeway, Suite 425

Dallas, TX 75251

In the memo, put either Patient Aid or Research

Or

The American Legion Auxiliary #152

% Hazel

P.O. Box 372

Sutherlin, OR 97479

In the memo, put Veteran Supplies

Arrangements under the direction of Rhoton Funeral Home, Carrollton, TX.