Burtie Mae Welch Griffin

A graveside service honoring the life of Burtie Mae Welch Griffin will be held at 11:00 a.m., Friday, May 15, 2020, at Hill Crest Memorial Park, 601 Highway 80 East, Haughton, Louisiana. A visitation with the family will be held Thursday, May 14, 2020, from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Drive, Bossier City, Louisiana. Pastor Eric Freeman of Church of Christ Haughton. A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date. Burtie Mae Welch Griffin was born December 30, 1927, in Eldorado, Arkansas to Burt and Willie Mae Touchstone and passed away peacefully, Monday, May 11, 2020, in Haughton, Louisiana. During the Great Depression, when Burtie was 6 years old, her father built a family trailer and headed west from Mississippi just to find a means of survival. Fortunately, for many people, the old car broke down in the Bossier City area, where they resided for the remainder of their lives. Fortunate because Burtie lived to influence and show love to countless numbers of people everywhere. The harshness of the hard times shaped her positive drive and outlook on life. She eloped at 16 and had three children by 19 years of age. The fourth child arrived a few years later. She worked as a secretary for the Louisiana Highway Department for 33 years. During that period, she got her accounting degree and became an authority in credit union auditing. She then expanded that talent into tax preparation, to the benefit of many. Burtie's true passion was painting, and what an artist! She wrote a how-to book on painting and gave lessons to numerous children. She starting running at age 67 and ran in eight Senior Olympics, winning numerous medals. All of her varied talents were focused on helping as many people as possible in countless ways. Finally, and most important, Burtie was a child of God from an early age. She will be missed by many and loved by all. Burtie was one of a kind. She was preceded in death by her parents; husbands, Virgil Welch, Joe Smith, and Bill Griffin and one son, David Lee Welch. Left to cherish her memory are her children, Donna Patrick and spouse, Shelby, Skipper Welch and wife, Wanda, Karen Medley and husband, Pat; daughter-in-law, Frances Welch; sisters, Billie Signer and Mildred Flagler; 10 grandchildren; 28 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, the family suggest memorials may be made to a Hospice of the donor's choice.