May 28, 1913 –  October 26, 2011  Hood resident Cecil Woodrow Welch, 98, passed away Wednesday, October 26th at Muenster Memorial Hospital. He was born May 28, 1913 in Hays, Texas to Jonathon and Sarah Welch. Cecil Married Ola Elsie Tucker December 18, 1935 in Muenster, Texas. He was a farmer and dairyman and had worked for Cooke County Pct 3 from 1976 to 1988. Mr. Welch was also a member of the Hood Community Improvement Club, Texas Farm Bureau and Era United Methodist Church.
Funeral services for Cecil Welch are scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, October 29, 2011 at Era United Methodist Church with Rev David Dunson, retired pastor of Era UMC officiating, assisted by Rev. Doyle Henderson, pastor of Era UMC. Interment will follow in Fairview Cemetery. Visitation will be 6-8 p.m. Friday evening at Clement-Keel Funeral Home in Gainesville. Pallbearers will be Mark Luebke, Michael Luebke, Bryan Hammons, Allen Welch, Dan Orr and Don Garner. Al Smith, Jerry Lewis, Lanny Lewter, Joe Weber, William Charles Welch, John Welch, Rich McGee and Lee Gano will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Survivors of Cecil Woodrow Welch include his wife of seventy-five years, Ola Welch; daughter, Wanda Luebke and husband John; daughter, Pat Hammons and husband Leroy; son, C.W. Welch, Jr. and wife Sue; ten grandchildren; sixteen great-grandchildren and four-great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents, Jonathon and Sarah Welch; nine siblings; daughter Elaine Herr and her husband Melvin and a grandchild, Charles Mitchell.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, Era Fire Department or Myra Fire Department.