Linda Oelze

Linda Cox Oelze passed away at 86 years of age on Friday, December 5th, with prayers and songs and in the arms of her loving family.
Born Linda Lea Cox on September 29, 1939, in Houston, TX, to parents James Wesley Cox and Beatrice (Wall) Cox, she was the last surviving sibling of two sisters (Charlene and Marlene) and one brother (Jimmy).
One day in her early 20s, Linda and her sister Charlene went to lunch as they often did at the Chuckwagon Restaurant in Houston. There she met a handsome man. He asked her to roll down her car window, which she did. Six weeks later, Ernie and Linda married and made a life together for more than 50 years. They had three daughters: Gwen (Kenny Wason), Marian (Dave Cunningham) and Joan (Melody). The love of her life, that handsome man, Ernie, passed away 11 years ago, leaving Linda with her daughters, their spouses, 4 grandchildren, and 6 great grandchildren.
Linda lived for her family. Her duties as wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother were center stage. Known in her later life as "Gran Gran" to her great grandchildren and "Gran" to everyone else, she charmed with her captivating smile and gentle spirit. She loved her cats (Max and Gus miss her at least as much as the rest of us), and she adored all animals. She loved to watch the birds and squirrels in her backyard, and she came to know a certain donkey who held a special place in her heart before his passing.
Linda became a reader in her 60s and tackled the classics of English and American literature with an open heart and questing mind. It was a relationship that would last the rest of her life, and she remained, unassumingly, incredibly well-read. In addition, she read the Bible from cover to cover more than once in her life, a fact of which she was quietly proud.
Linda never had a European vacation, but she went to Alabama with her daughter Marian and beloved son-in-law Dave. She didn't frequent 5-star restaurants, but she enjoyed the shrimp at the Classic Cafe in nearby Seabrook. She didn't go to many fancy parties, but she celebrated every special occasion with her family, with potluck dinners, homemade desserts, and Blue Bell ice cream.
There weren't a thousand people in Linda's life who had a thousand little parts of her. There was just her family, and for Linda, family was all. She was whole as a big presence in the lives of the people she loved, and those who loved her would tell you that was exactly what she wanted. She enjoyed belonging in her family, and she always held an honored place. She was dearly loved by us all - and she would agree that made her rich beyond compare.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, a cause Linda loved and supported.