Mildred Charlene Wilson

Mildred Charlene Welty, third child to Willie Etta and Gilbert Mills Welty, was born October 16, 1918 and went to be with her Lord on March 19. She is preceded in death by her husband of 51 years, Carrel Everett Wilson (April 1, 1990), and her son, Charles Everett Wilson on April 1, 2014. She is also preceded in death by her parents Willie Etta, and Gilbert Mills Welty, sister, Ophelia Leroy (Lee) Welty, brother Lindel Orlin (Bill) Welty and wife, Claris, William Robison (Rob) Welty, and wife, Ann. Three months ago, she lost her dear grandson, Craig Michael Stewart (Jeff Coffey). They will now be reunited with as much love and laughter as they had on this earth.
She is survived by her daughter, Sharon Ann Stewart Stanwood, and husband Dan Stanwood, son, Dennis Gilbert Wilson, and wife Donna Wilson, and daughter-in-law, Ruth S. Wilson. Jinkie has six grandchildren; Karl Everett Wilson (Lori), Jon David Stewart (Victoria), Nathan Joshua Wilson (Sarah), Jamie Caryl Fought (Matt) and Thomas Everett Wilson (Aryana). She has fifteen great-grandchildren, Cody Stewart, Kaitlyn Ann Wilson, twins Rudolph and Theodore Stewart, Brady Fought, Allie Marie Fought, Jude Fought, Maisie Fought, Emilee Fought, and Evan Fought, Vincent Wilson, Therese Wilson, Kateri Wilson, Penelope Wilson, and Everett Wilson. She is also survived by her loving nieces and nephews, Theta Hall, Cheryl Moak, Gail Brown, and Reggie Welty, who tenderly cared and loved on her in her later years. She is preceded in death by niece, Mozelle Lanier and nephew, Randy Welty.
Jinkie attended Gordon schools. She grew up in Gordon on Clayton Mountain and she was saved and baptized in First Baptist Church, Gordon. She met her future husband while up in a tree picking apples. She had a blind date with him. He definitely liked what he saw only to return from South Texas a few weeks later to marry her. She called her mother for permission and they eloped. She was married by Carrel’s Uncle Mark Wilson on September 9, 1938. Jinkie’s first child, Charles Everett was born July 2, 1939. The family lived in South Texas near the border for a while, and soon Carrel joined the Army Air Corps as the war had started. Sharon Ann “Missy,” was born June 23, 1944. Jinkie lived with her mother and sister in Fort Worth during the World War II. Jinkie’s third child, Dennis Gilbert, was born while living near Beeville, Texas in a little town called Pettus, February 3, 1950. When asked one time why her kids were 5 years apart she answered with “They were just born when they were supposed to.” While on this subject, Jinkie had a strong faith in that things happen exactly as God’s plan ordains, and that our birth and death dates are planned by our Maker. We think this is why she has been able to cope with the loss of her Charlie.
In 1951 after a year in Yazoo, Miss. the family settled in the early 50’s in small towns around Houston. She spent her time raising her family, making sure their needs were taken care of. This was her forte, and one she never took lightly. A relative not long ago was reminded how good her sheets smelled when they would go to visit. There was precious little time doing what she wanted to do, but she was known to be a wonderful neighbor and friend and mother. She will always be remembered for in the way she showed her love and care through cards and letters. Many of her friends cited that sometimes it was the only one they received. Her memory was like a steel trap. She could tell you someone’s birthday in mere seconds. She and Carrel never hesitated to make welcome all of the relatives who would come and stay for sometimes even a month. She graciously made beds for all of them, washed their clothes, and prepared wonderful food for all to enjoy. The emphasis was never on her, but without her, only chaos would have prevailed. That statement was a quote by her son, Charlie, years ago.
After sixteen years in the Katy area and with two children grown and away from home, Carrel, Jinkie, and Dennis moved to Louisiana for six months. It seems that no one really liked it there like they had liked Katy. Jinkie was the first one to tell you that she was not fond of that year at all. The family moved back to Texas in 1968 to Refugio This was the first era of grandchildren, with Karl, Jon David and Craig. Mom spent days in Corpus Christi shopping, and she always dreaded the big bridge she had to cross getting there, but her love for shopping gave her the energy and fortitude. She loved her Sunday School class at First Baptist Refugio, and kept in touch with several of them over the next 30 years. She also enjoyed trips to Houston to see Charles, Ruth and Karl, and trips Austin to see Jon, Missy, JD and Craig, and Dennis. She would never hesitate to help in the kitchen, wherever she was, and was always thoughtful and brought groceries. We loved her care packages. She also enjoyed trips to the beach with the family in Port Aransas.
Dad retired, and they moved to Mineral Wells, 50 miles west of Fort Worth. Even though mom’s mother had passed away ten years before, she was at long last near her family of origin. Numerous trips were made by her children to bring their grandchildren. At the time, she had three grandsons and God gave them another chance to be grandparents again. They enjoyed pushing the stroller for Nathan, Jamie, and Thomas. Jinkie has 6 grandchildren, each one and their spouses precious. She also has 15 great-grandchildren!
Jinkie and Carrel celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on September 23, 1988 in Salado, Texas with all of her family and friends present for the occasion. A year and a half later, Mother lost her husband, our Dad, after almost 52 years married. Her children recall that during this time that she did not once complain of being lonely, and would many times go downtown to get her something to eat alone. Mother always took things in stride.
Jinkie moved to Austin to be nearer her children in 2004. Ever since Jinkie’s children brought her down to Austin, all her heart could think of was the day she would return to Gordon. The family took her several times to Gordon to reminisce. She would talk about her days as a child there all the time. She would talk about her school, and her classmates, but mostly her siblings and parents.
In 2016, Mom got pneumonia, so we began searching for a place where she would be safe, and have a life of her own. She loved the independence she had by going to the dining hall to eat, or walking down the hall to get her hair fixed, or just enjoying a stroll outside on a pretty day. Grandma spent her last two years at Cedar Point, about 15 minutes from her children before her stroke in March.
Some of her happiest days were the Gordon Reunion. She would sit in her chair of honor at the front door to give each person a name tag. She was also the one who would take care of securing the hall and ordering the meat for the Reunions. She would also go to Mt. Zion reunions, and talked endlessly of Strawn, Thurber, and New York Hill. She always wanted to visit the cemeteries to visit Carrel and now Charlie, and the Doty, where her mother, daddy and sister and various other Weltys are buried. Her grandson, Craig, who passed away three months ago, gave her a wonderful gift one year. The year before her daughter and nieces had met her in Gordon and went up close to Clayton Mountain. Craig took her again, and on the way back she told us, “If I never get to go back, well I’ve done it. I’ve seen it all and it’s in my mind.” It seems that when Craig and his grandma got out there, that there was a man who kindly let them go as high as they want to and never rushed them at all. Don’t you know she had some memories as they drove up that mountain!
Now her children, grands, loving nieces and nephew and friends return her to the home she loves. Not only heaven, but also her heavenly home, Gordon, heaven to her in every sense of the word. This was her heart and her wish. We honor her and will miss her all the days of our lives.