Frances Duff Galloway

WESLACO - Laura Frances Duff Galloway, age 89, a resident of Weslaco, Texas, died on Friday, October 24, 2014, of congestive heart failure at the Health Care Center of John Knox Village.

Fran was born on March 17, 1925, in Hill County, Texas, the second of five children to Eula Pearl Barger Duff and Samuel Henderson Duff. After completing Hill County Junior College in 1943, she took her first job teaching high school math at Purdon in Navarro County. She first came to the Rio Grande Valley in September of 1944. She spent two years teaching in Pharr before moving to Denton where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Home Economics from North Texas State Teachers College, Class of 1947.

In September of that year, she accepted a job teaching homemaking at Edcouch-Elsa High School. She met her husband, Neal Gordon Galloway, in July 1949. He recalls, “What attracted me first was she was happy, and she was pretty.” They were married in Edcouch on April 7, 1950. Theirs was a beautiful partnership of trust, loyalty, sharing, and caring for more than sixty-four years.

Fran went on to teach at Edcouch-Elsa and Santa Rosa. During her career as an educator, she served as sponsor of the Future Homemakers of America chapters supporting young students in area and state leadership positions. Her students were regularly recognized in competitions at the Donna Lamb Show, Hidalgo County Youth Show, Cameron County Youth Show, and the Rio Grande Valley Cotton Style Show. She was awarded a lifetime membership in the Future Homemakers of America. She was a charter member of the Association of Texas Professional Educators. She was a member of the Epsilon Phi chapter of The Delta Kappa Gamma Society International, an honor society of key women educators. She retired from teaching in 1985 after thirty-two years of service.

In the Edcouch-Elsa community, Fran was a civic leader. She was in charge of the Bluebonnet Girls’ State delegate selection for many years for the American Legion Auxiliary. She was a member of the Elsa Civic and Study Club and the Bible Study Fellowship. She served First United Methodist Church, Edcouch, as a member of the Memorial Committee, Enchilada Supper Committee, and chaired the committee responsible for the design and installation of custom stained glass windows at the church.

Her husband of Weslaco, and six children survive her: Gayle Sampley and husband Donald of Atascocita, Carol Hagler and husband Jack of Dallas, Mary Kay Erben and husband Ronnie of New Braunfels, John Galloway and wife Dawn of College Station, Robert Galloway of Houston, and Susan Bitts of Irving. Grandchildren include Stuart Galloway Sampley and wife Kelly of Austin, Laura Erben Pfister and husband Kyle of Manvel, Valerie Galloway of Houston, Neal Galloway of Fort Worth, Katy Caldwell and husband Trey of Dallas, Patrick Galloway of Beloit, Wisconsin, and Stephen Bitts of College Station. Great-grandchildren are Murphy and Winfield Sampley of Austin. She is also survived by her brother Donald Duff of Denton, and sister Dorothy Jeanne Murphy of Sharyland. She was preceded in death by her parents, brothers Thomas H. Duff and Billy Duff, granddaughter Stephanye Sampley and grandson Travis Winfield Sampley.

Fran was a beloved family member, mentor, and friend. She was a twenty-year breast cancer survivor. She had a strand of friends she called her “pearls.” She was fun, spirited, charitable, adventurous, optimistic, and loving. She adored butterflies, hummingbirds, the beach, shrimp, corn on the cob, her grandkids, Milano’s, roses, and parties. When she retired, she pierced her ears, bought a copy of Willie Nelson’s “On the Road Again,” and traveled to places she had never been. She will be remembered for her engaging personality, her mischievous playfulness, her great cooking, and her service to others.

A memorial service will be held on Saturday, November 1st at 11 a.m. in the Sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church at 1015 Santa Rosa Avenue, Edcouch, Texas. The Reverend Samuel Blanco will officiate. The family will receive friends at a coffee reception at the church immediately following the service.

In lieu of flowers, those wishing to honor Fran’s memory may make memorial contributions to the charity of their choice.