Heaven’s gates opened and welcomed home a precious Mother, Mimi, sister, aunt and friend just before midnight on March 14, 2023. Weltha Joyce Gibbs (Swope) Atkins, age 90, of Thorndale, went peacefully to be with her Lord and Savior, surrounded by her loving family. Weltha was born on February 3, 1933, the fifth of six children born to Ray “Frosty” Gibbs and Bernice Newman Gibbs. Having been given an unusual first name and always being asked to spell it, she’d say, “It’s like ‘wealthy.’ Just drop the Y and move the A to the end.” She was raised on the family farm near Florence, Texas, during the Great Depression. She often said, “We didn’t have a lot of ‘stuff,’ but we had so much fun just being together.” Weltha attended Gravel Hill School as a young child, moving to the Florence schools at the age of 7, where she graduated in 1950. She was a homecoming queen and a killer on the volleyball court! She loved dancing and embarrassing her teenage daughters by jitterbugging with her sisters in public! Weltha maintained such a youthful appearance. Strangers often could not believe her actual age, and to her delight (and her daughters’ dismay), she was often mistaken for the “fourth sister” on her many outings with her girls.
Weltha was preceded in death by her parents; her husband and father of her girls, Abe Swope, Jr.; her husband, Bobby Atkins, Sr.; son-in-law, Steven Suchomel; two brothers, Floyd Gibbs (Catherine) and Gayle Gibbs; two sisters, Freda Wilson and Juanice “Poochie” Nord (Bud); brother in law, Gene Ray and sister-in-law, Kay Swope Williams; two nieces and one nephew.
Left to mourn her passing are her daughters, Tanya Suchomel, Jackie (Gary) Oslick, all of Thorndale, and Mary Jane Swope of Florence. Her grandchildren, Tony (Kristi) Suchomel, Lance (Lori) Suchomel, Matthew (Hollie) Suchomel, Wesley (Ashlee) Suchomel, Shannon (Gregg) Cheshier and Tara Oslick; great-grandchildren Luke, Charlie, Graceann, Elizabeth, Addison, Scarlett, Karter, Carson, Weston and Ashlynn; her beloved sister, Nelda Ray; sister-in-law, Delores Gibbs Faulkner; stepson, Bobby Atkins, Jr. (Michele); brother-in-law, Max Atkins (Jann); many nieces and nephews.
Serving as pallbearers are her grandchildren and great-grandsons. Honorary pallbearers are Tom Ed Atkinson, Lanny Booth, Tommy Kanetzky, Steven Marley, David Ramirez, Dr. Edward Rister, Wayne Sherry, Charles Sklar, Sr., and Don Strawn.
The family would like to express their sincere appreciation to Baylor Scott & White Hospice for their loving and compassionate care of Weltha during her final weeks. She loved all her caregivers, and they showed her genuine and heartfelt love in return.
To honor Weltha’s life and memory, contributions may be made to the Youngsport Church of Christ, Elgin Church of Christ, the Live Oak Cemetery Association near Killeen or the charity of one’s choice.