Laura Walton

Laura Lois Mitchell Walton, of Bellaire, Texas passed away peacefully in her home on November 26, 2022 at the age of 93. She was born September 3, 1929 in Galveston, Texas. Her mother, Carrie Olive Cockrell Mitchell, when discharged from the hospital after giving birth, took baby Laura by ferry to the family home in Anahuac, Texas, where she was introduced to her father, Elton Louis Mitchell, and older sister, Joyce. Laura was raised on the family land and always felt a strong connection to the Gulf Coast of Texas. She was a graduate of Anahuac High School class of 1947. She moved to Houston to attend school at the University of Houston, graduating in 1950, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Home Economics and Elementary Education. She was a proud Cougar and never missed a chance to watch a football or basketball game. Laura was extremely proud of obtaining a university degree at a time when women of her generation rarely attended college. She spent most of her business career working for Houston Lighting and Power as a Home Economist and Supervisor of Home Services. She specialized in finding ways to introduce families to the benefits of electric appliances, changing how people lived and helping to usher in the future. Laura was a technologist long before the term was coined; she loved learning the latest gadgets.

As an accomplished home cook, she prided herself on mastering the electric appliances she helped introduce to the people of Houston. She worked there until her retirement. She spent her retirement in a house she designed on Lake Anahuac, before moving to Baytown and, finally, Bellaire, to be closer to her family. Her Bellaire home was renovated by her cousin Sue Shaw’s son, Charlie Shaw. She was an active member of the Bellaire United Methodist Church.

She was an award-winning quilter and often volunteered in quilting bees to raise money for charity and her church. She was a keen gardener and loved spending time with her great-grandchildren, who she would take swimming. Laura enjoyed having lunch and visiting with her nieces, Phyllis Stallings and Henrietta Gentry, and great-nieces, Carrie Osman, Laurie Noteboom, Deana Joseph and Anna Bandy, and their children. Laura is survived by her son, John Elton Foster; daughter-in-law, Meredith Foster; grandson John-Thomas Foster and his wife Robin; great-granddaughter Hazel Wren Foster and great-grandson John William Foster. In addition to Laura’s parents and sister, she was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Walton of 30 years.

Service for Laura will be held Saturday, December 3, 2022 at Earthman-Bellaire Funeral Home, 4525 Bissonnet at 11 a.m. Interment will follow at Anahuac Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, donations in Laura’s name can be made to the American Cancer Society, which is an organization she supported throughout her life.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.earthmanbellaire.com for the Walton family.