Update, 9th Day of Christmas, January 2, 2021
All,
Prayers for all on this second day of the New Year. Barry Breaux sent me his mom’s obituary. It stands a reminder of the hard losses of the year gone by and the promise that, as we face the challanges of of the year ahead, we stand on the shoulders of giants.
Elwyn Breaux Welch departed this world on December 29, 2020 at the age of 103.
Dr. Welch, retired professor and former Chairman of the Department of English and Foreign Languages at Langston University, represents a third generation of Black educators.
Her mother, Mrs. Ora Ellison, was a primary school teacher in Helena, Arkansas before she moved to Oklahoma. Her father, Joseph E. Ellison, graduated from Fisk University in 1910 and taught science in Guthrie, Oklahoma and at Prairie A&M College in Texas.
Born in Guthrie, Oklahoma, Dr. Welch graduated valedictorian from Faver High School. She received her bachelor’s degree, Cum Laude, from the prestigious Fisk University. She received her master’s degree and doctorate from Oklahoma State University. During her tenure at Langston University, she was chairman of the English Department and named an Outstanding Educator of America. She coordinated the campus Consortium on Research Training in the humanities and social sciences. She also published articles in the Sooner Woman and Educational magazines.
A member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, she was a charter member of the Oklahoma City chapters of Jack and Jill of America and The Links, Inc. She was also a life member of the Fisk Alumni Association. For five years she was on the Board of Directors for the Langston University Development Fund.
Since her retirement, Dr. Welch has funded an endowed scholarship at Fisk University and with her late husband, R.B. Welch, also founded a similar scholarship at Langston University. She has provided many other scholarships for graduates of Guthrie High School and members of her church, First Baptist. Her main endeavor was to encourage African American youth to stay in school and provide scholarship funds for any student in need of assistance.
Dr. Welch was also an inductee into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame.
She was married to Dean Inman A. Breaux, Sr. for 22 years before his death in 1967 and had two sons; Inman A. Breaux, Jr., now deceased, and Barry E. Breaux, MD of Oakland, California.
She also leaves 4 grandchildren; Inman E. Breaux, Barry E. Breaux, Jr., MD, Michelle Breaux, NIcole Breaux, and 2 nephews; James and Michael Ellison.
She and R.B. Welch were married for 20 years. They traveled the world together and enjoyed a relaxing and fruitful retirement in Guthrie.
Peace,
Jim H.
A Time For Prayer meets today at 10:00 a.m.
There will be a Forum tomorrow at 8:30 to view a video of Charles Watson Jr. and Amanda Tyler of BJC discussing clergy as candidates, the Georgia senatorial elections and liberation theology. Pastor Allison will be traveling to Georgia on Monday to be a chaplain at a polling place.
Tomorrow is Epiphany Sunday and Communion Sunday. Our preacher in Zoom Church will be Dale Edmondson. His sermon will be “What Does it Take To Follow a Star?”