Lela Mae Brigham McClung, age 89, went home to be with Jesus on September 30, 2020, in Lubbock, Texas. Lela passed peacefully in the home of her daughter, Susan, after a brief illness. Lela was born December 5, 1930, to parents William Edgar (WE), and Milda Brigham, in Jones County, Texas.
On June 11, 1948, she married the love of her life, Roy Taylor McClung, in Stamford, Texas. Most of their life together was lived in Odessa, Texas, where they raised four children.
Once all four children had begun school, Lela began pursuing a college education. She received an associates degree from Odessa College, before graduating summa cum laude, and first in her graduating class, from Sul Ross University.
Lela would leave home at five am each weekday morning to make the drive from Odessa to Alpine, Texas, then return later each evening to care for family. After earning her degree, Lela was director and first grade teacher at her private school and day care center in Midland, Texas. She so excelled at her work, that her State of Texas day care licensing representative took notice, and recommended her for a job with the State, for which she was accepted. She quickly rose through the ranks of licensing representatives, to become a supervisor, eventually for a large area of Texas.
Lela was so highly regarded in her field, that she was selected to go to Austin to rewrite the standards and practices for all day care licensing in the State of Texas. Before her retirement in 1992, Lela was honored as State of Texas Employee of the Year.
During her 65 years in Odessa, Lela and Roy were active members of several Baptist churches, including Park Avenue, Maranatha, Westwood, Temple and Crossroads Church. During those years, she served in many capacities, including teaching, playing piano, singing, developing curriculum for youth and cooking for her seniors group, and bereavement committee. Besides her church work, Lela and Roy provided and cooked meals for Jesus House, as well as tutored and mentored children and their mothers at Mission Messiah. They also provided and delivered Christmas gifts for children of incarcerrated parents.
Lela was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers Oran Brigham and wife Marie, Elton Brigham, sisters-in-law Louise Brigham and Eddie Brigham, brother-in-law Wilburn Salmon, brothers and sisters-in-law Willie and Jewell McClung, Margie and Van Van de Castille, Harold and Helen McClung, Nina and Bill Freeman, AD and Elta McClung, Reg and Mae McClung, Ted and Josie McClung, and great grandsons Landry Cauley, and Tripp Bryan.
Lela is survived by her children Peggy and Bill Archer of Roundrock, Texas, Ron and Malinda McClung of Snyder, Texas, Luanne and John Walker of Abilene, Texas and Susan and Benny Thomas of Lubbock, Texas. Also a too-big-to count multitude of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-granchildren, nieces and nephews. She is survived by brother William Brigham, Jr of Farwell, Texas, sister Mildred Salmon of Orinda, California, sister-in-law Bobbie Brigham, brother James Brigham of Hamlin, Texas, and sister Louella and Leeroy Olson of Fort Worth, Texas.
The family would like to thank Area Community Hospice, especially Mom's nurse, Gloria, for thier kindness and love towards our Mother.
On June 11, 1948, she married the love of her life, Roy Taylor McClung, in Stamford, Texas. Most of their life together was lived in Odessa, Texas, where they raised four children.
Once all four children had begun school, Lela began pursuing a college education. She received an associates degree from Odessa College, before graduating summa cum laude, and first in her graduating class, from Sul Ross University.
Lela would leave home at five am each weekday morning to make the drive from Odessa to Alpine, Texas, then return later each evening to care for family. After earning her degree, Lela was director and first grade teacher at her private school and day care center in Midland, Texas. She so excelled at her work, that her State of Texas day care licensing representative took notice, and recommended her for a job with the State, for which she was accepted. She quickly rose through the ranks of licensing representatives, to become a supervisor, eventually for a large area of Texas.
Lela was so highly regarded in her field, that she was selected to go to Austin to rewrite the standards and practices for all day care licensing in the State of Texas. Before her retirement in 1992, Lela was honored as State of Texas Employee of the Year.
During her 65 years in Odessa, Lela and Roy were active members of several Baptist churches, including Park Avenue, Maranatha, Westwood, Temple and Crossroads Church. During those years, she served in many capacities, including teaching, playing piano, singing, developing curriculum for youth and cooking for her seniors group, and bereavement committee. Besides her church work, Lela and Roy provided and cooked meals for Jesus House, as well as tutored and mentored children and their mothers at Mission Messiah. They also provided and delivered Christmas gifts for children of incarcerrated parents.
Lela was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers Oran Brigham and wife Marie, Elton Brigham, sisters-in-law Louise Brigham and Eddie Brigham, brother-in-law Wilburn Salmon, brothers and sisters-in-law Willie and Jewell McClung, Margie and Van Van de Castille, Harold and Helen McClung, Nina and Bill Freeman, AD and Elta McClung, Reg and Mae McClung, Ted and Josie McClung, and great grandsons Landry Cauley, and Tripp Bryan.
Lela is survived by her children Peggy and Bill Archer of Roundrock, Texas, Ron and Malinda McClung of Snyder, Texas, Luanne and John Walker of Abilene, Texas and Susan and Benny Thomas of Lubbock, Texas. Also a too-big-to count multitude of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-granchildren, nieces and nephews. She is survived by brother William Brigham, Jr of Farwell, Texas, sister Mildred Salmon of Orinda, California, sister-in-law Bobbie Brigham, brother James Brigham of Hamlin, Texas, and sister Louella and Leeroy Olson of Fort Worth, Texas.
The family would like to thank Area Community Hospice, especially Mom's nurse, Gloria, for thier kindness and love towards our Mother.
Lela Mae Brigham McClung, age 89, went home to be with Jesus on September 30, 2020, in Lubbock, Texas. Lela passed peacefully in the home of her daughter, Susan, after a brief illness. Lela was born December 5, 1930, to parents William Edgar (WE), and Milda Brigham, in Jones County, Texas.
On June 11, 1948, she married the love of her life, Roy Taylor McClung, in Stamford, Texas. Most of their life together was lived in Odessa, Texas, where they raised four children.
Once all four children had begun school, Lela began pursuing a college education. She received an associates degree from Odessa College, before graduating summa cum laude, and first in her graduating class, from Sul Ross University.
Lela would leave home at five am each weekday morning to make the drive from Odessa to Alpine, Texas, then return later each evening to care for family. After earning her degree, Lela was director and first grade teacher at her private school and day care center in Midland, Texas. She so excelled at her work, that her State of Texas day care licensing representative took notice, and recommended her for a job with the State, for which she was accepted. She quickly rose through the ranks of licensing representatives, to become a supervisor, eventually for a large area of Texas.
Lela was so highly regarded in her field, that she was selected to go to Austin to rewrite the standards and practices for all day care licensing in the State of Texas. Before her retirement in 1992, Lela was honored as State of Texas Employee of the Year.
During her 65 years in Odessa, Lela and Roy were active members of several Baptist churches, including Park Avenue, Maranatha, Westwood, Temple and Crossroads Church. During those years, she served in many capacities, including teaching, playing piano, singing, developing curriculum for youth and cooking for her seniors group, and bereavement committee. Besides her church work, Lela and Roy provided and cooked meals for Jesus House, as well as tutored and mentored children and their mothers at Mission Messiah. They also provided and delivered Christmas gifts for children of incarcerrated parents.
Lela was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers Oran Brigham and wife Marie, Elton Brigham, sisters-in-law Louise Brigham and Eddie Brigham, brother-in-law Wilburn Salmon, brothers and sisters-in-law Willie and Jewell McClung, Margie and Van Van de Castille, Harold and Helen McClung, Nina and Bill Freeman, AD and Elta McClung, Reg and Mae McClung, Ted and Josie McClung, and great grandsons Landry Cauley, and Tripp Bryan.
Lela is survived by her children Peggy and Bill Archer of Roundrock, Texas, Ron and Malinda McClung of Snyder, Texas, Luanne and John Walker of Abilene, Texas and Susan and Benny Thomas of Lubbock, Texas. Also a too-big-to count multitude of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-granchildren, nieces and nephews. She is survived by brother William Brigham, Jr of Farwell, Texas, sister Mildred Salmon of Orinda, California, sister-in-law Bobbie Brigham, brother James Brigham of Hamlin, Texas, and sister Louella and Leeroy Olson of Fort Worth, Texas.
The family would like to thank Area Community Hospice, especially Mom's nurse, Gloria, for thier kindness and love towards our Mother.
On June 11, 1948, she married the love of her life, Roy Taylor McClung, in Stamford, Texas. Most of their life together was lived in Odessa, Texas, where they raised four children.
Once all four children had begun school, Lela began pursuing a college education. She received an associates degree from Odessa College, before graduating summa cum laude, and first in her graduating class, from Sul Ross University.
Lela would leave home at five am each weekday morning to make the drive from Odessa to Alpine, Texas, then return later each evening to care for family. After earning her degree, Lela was director and first grade teacher at her private school and day care center in Midland, Texas. She so excelled at her work, that her State of Texas day care licensing representative took notice, and recommended her for a job with the State, for which she was accepted. She quickly rose through the ranks of licensing representatives, to become a supervisor, eventually for a large area of Texas.
Lela was so highly regarded in her field, that she was selected to go to Austin to rewrite the standards and practices for all day care licensing in the State of Texas. Before her retirement in 1992, Lela was honored as State of Texas Employee of the Year.
During her 65 years in Odessa, Lela and Roy were active members of several Baptist churches, including Park Avenue, Maranatha, Westwood, Temple and Crossroads Church. During those years, she served in many capacities, including teaching, playing piano, singing, developing curriculum for youth and cooking for her seniors group, and bereavement committee. Besides her church work, Lela and Roy provided and cooked meals for Jesus House, as well as tutored and mentored children and their mothers at Mission Messiah. They also provided and delivered Christmas gifts for children of incarcerrated parents.
Lela was preceded in death by her parents, husband, brothers Oran Brigham and wife Marie, Elton Brigham, sisters-in-law Louise Brigham and Eddie Brigham, brother-in-law Wilburn Salmon, brothers and sisters-in-law Willie and Jewell McClung, Margie and Van Van de Castille, Harold and Helen McClung, Nina and Bill Freeman, AD and Elta McClung, Reg and Mae McClung, Ted and Josie McClung, and great grandsons Landry Cauley, and Tripp Bryan.
Lela is survived by her children Peggy and Bill Archer of Roundrock, Texas, Ron and Malinda McClung of Snyder, Texas, Luanne and John Walker of Abilene, Texas and Susan and Benny Thomas of Lubbock, Texas. Also a too-big-to count multitude of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-granchildren, nieces and nephews. She is survived by brother William Brigham, Jr of Farwell, Texas, sister Mildred Salmon of Orinda, California, sister-in-law Bobbie Brigham, brother James Brigham of Hamlin, Texas, and sister Louella and Leeroy Olson of Fort Worth, Texas.
The family would like to thank Area Community Hospice, especially Mom's nurse, Gloria, for thier kindness and love towards our Mother.
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