Barbara Jane McDaniel

Barbara Jane McDaniel was reunited with her Heavenly Father on Friday, September 1, 2023.  Jane was born on January 31, 1934, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, to Pete and Edith Watson.  After graduating from Ferris High School and attending North Texas State, she married the love of her life, Webb McDaniel, on March 7, 1952.  They resided in Richardson, TX, before moving to Midland in 1955, to raise their family and attend Crestview Baptist Church, where Webb served as a deacon and Jane rocked babies in the nursery, among many other things.  Jane loved children and taught Preschool at Crestview Baptist for almost 30 years.

Following Webb’s retirement, Jane and Webb traveled all over the world.  Jane collected pitchers from each country and proudly displayed them at her home, with a story for her family and friends.  She was an amazing friend and spent many days playing bunko, volunteering at the Scarborough-Linebery House, participating in water aerobics and attending Sunday School.

Jane was a loving mother of four, “Gran” to nine and “Great-Gran” to 16, with a gentle heart and a listening ear, backed up by a stubborn streak.  She attended countless recitals, choir performances and sporting events, and even tucked everyone in under quilts made by her Granny Lightfoot, not to mention the soap operas she watched with the girls.  Her talent for writing and storytelling was also evident when either helping her children and grandchildren with poems and school papers (math was not her thing) or telling them stories about her own parents and grandparents.   Also, many good times were had on Saturday mornings from her open invitation for breakfast to kids and grandkids (nobody made better scrambled eggs!).

Jane will be missed by many.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and brother, Clinton Watson, and beloved sister-in-law, Colleen Watson.  Left to cherish her memory are her children, Kay (Dennis) Melton, Scott (Carla) McDaniel, Tom (Sharla) McDaniel and Tod (Sandy) McDaniel, her grandchildren, Jennifer (Darren) Heil, Ben Melton, Jeff (Kalen) McDaniel, Paige (Scotty) Bartlett, Meredith (Scott) McBee, Kathryn (Michael) Zimmerhanzel, Laura (Jesse) Gonzalez, Trent (McKenzie) McDaniel and Mike Melton, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.  Special thanks to Dr. Shylesh Ganta for his kindness and excellent care during the last few years of Jane’s life.

The family requests that remembrances be made to Crestview Baptist Church and the American Heart Association.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory in Midland.  Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

To send flowers to the family or place a tree in memory of Barbara Jane McDaniel, please visit our Tribute Store.