Rev. Welch

Rev. Hoyt Welch, age 96, went to be with his Lord and Saviour at approximately 3:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 19, 2010. The funeral service will be at 10:00 a.m. at Sandia Baptist Church, 1100 West Manana, in Clovis, with Rev. Bruce Kirby, Pastor of Parkland Baptist Church in Clovis, Rev. Dean Mathis, Pastor of Taylor Memorial Baptist Church in Hobbs, and Rev. Chris Mullenix of Sandia Baptist Church of Clovis, officiating. Casket bearers will be Chris Sparkman, Calvin L. Sparkman, Floyd Austin, Tom Barnett, Bill Reed, and Wayne Camp.

Hoyt was born May 18, 1914 in Palestine, Texas, to James Andrew Welch and Mittie Ferguson Welch. He grew up on his dads farms in Twitty and Tahoka, Texas, graduating from Tahoka High School in 1931. He came to Clovis in 1933, where he worked as a shoe salesman at Levines. In Clovis, he met the love of his life, Bertha Arilla Sheridan, of Grady. They were married in Portales on June 7, 1937, and moved to Twitty. During a revival at the First Baptist Church of Twitty, he accepted the call to the ministry, and soon began a lifetime of preaching and ministry that encompassed more than sixty years.

He attended Howard Payne University in Brownwood, Texas, while pastoring the First Baptist Church of Malore, Texas, then moved back to Portales to attend Eastern New Mexico University, graduating in 1944 with a degree in Theology and Education. His years of fulltime ministry included the pastorates of First Baptist Churches of House, Belen, and Eunice, New Mexico, as well as the First Baptist Church of Phillips, Texas. In 1963, he returned to Clovis as the first pastor of Sandia Baptist Church. Following his official retirement in 1980, he served as interim pastor of more than forty Baptist churches in Carlsbad, Artesia, Portales, Eunice, Forrest, Clovis, Pleasant Hill, Grady, San Jon and nearby Texas communities.

He also served New Mexico Baptists in many capacities throughout his ministry, including several years as President of the Pastors Conference, President of the New Mexico Baptist Convention, and President of the Executive Board of the New Mexico Baptist Convention, and a member of the trustees of the Baptist Childrens Home in Portales. In addition, he served on numerous committees of the Southern Baptist Convention, including the Sunday School Board in Nashville, Tennessee, the Historical Committee, and the Nominating Committee.

He is preceded in death by his parents, one daughter, Judy Darlene Barnett and two brothers, O.J. and Elward Welch. He is survived by his wife, Bertha of Clovis his daughter, Phyllis Ann Sparkman and her husband, C.M., of Beaumont, California his son, David Hoyt Welch and his wife, Erlinda, of Amarillo grandchildren: Arilla and Floyd Austin of Highland, CA, Calvin and Claudia Sparkman of Riverside, CA, Christopher Hoyt and Rebecca Sparkman of Woodbridge, VA, Tom and Betty Barnett of Norman, OK, Carla Meyer of Melbourne, FL, Donna Gonzales of Clovis, Ellen Gonzales of Bay City, TX, Willie Gonzales, Jr., of Midfield, TX, and Eric Gonzales of Amarillo, TX eighteen greatgrandchildren seven greatgreatgrandchildren one greatgreatgreat grandchild one sister, Rose Hefley of Oklahoma one brother, Lin Jeanette Welch of Kansas and numerous nieces and nephews, including Carrel and Murl Dennington of Clovis, and Tex and Evonne Welch of Tatum.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Baptist Childrens Home, P.O. Box 629, Portales, NM 88130, or the Harry P. Staggs New Mexico State Missions Offering.

Arrangements are by SteedTodd Funeral Home, 800 E. Manana Blvd., Clovis, New Mexico 88101 5757635541.

Service

Funeral

Sandia Baptist ChurchHa
1100 W. Manana
Clovis, NM  88101
Saturday, October 23, 2010
10:00 a.m.

Cemetery

Lawn Haven Memorial Gardens
1601 E. Llano Estacado
Clovis, NM  88101

Memorial Contributions

P. O. Box 629
Portales, NM  88130