Gretchen Taylor Jo Warren, 19, of Little Elm, Texas, went to be with the Lord on Aug. 17, 2021. She passed away unexpectedly but peacefully in Huntsville, Texas, where she was beginning her sophomore year at Sam Houston State University.
Gretchen was born on April 4, 2002, to Randall Joe and Ingrid Christine Marie (Swanson) Warren in Carrollton, Texas. She was a beloved daughter, an adored big sister, and a cherished girlfriend, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend. She is immensely loved and will be deeply missed.
She was a 2020 graduate of Lone Star High School in Frisco ISD and was a member of the National Honor Society and the band and color guard. She was a lifelong member of First Baptist Church at The Fields in Carrollton where she participated in choir, mission trips, Bible Drill program and youth activities. Gretchen was in her second year at SHSU majoring in victim advocate studies as part of the university’s College of Criminal Justice.
Gretchen valued the relationships in her life and carved out time for family and friends. She was a hugger and never ended a conversation or left a room without an “I love you.” Especially meaningful is the emphatic way she would say, “I love you, Momma!” as she was in and out between school, her job at Whataburger or other activities.
The most important relationship in Gretchen’s life, however, is the one she had with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. She was secure in the knowledge that she had been saved by grace through faith and would spend eternity in Heaven with Him. We, too, take comfort in the hope of Heaven, knowing we will see her again one day.
Family and friends speak of Gretchen’s smile, her giggle, her bubbly personality, her energy. They talk about her kindness and how she was a natural at comforting people. She was the first to welcome those new to a group, always keeping an eye out for kids on the sidelines to make sure they were included. She was the “mama bear” to the girls in the band’s color guard in high school.
Anywhere outdoors was Gretchen’s favorite place to be — bluebonnet and tulip fields, parks, a patch of trees, especially when she could hang a hammock and take in her surroundings for a while. She loved animals and those in need had a special place in her heart. When she discovered a group of cats living in a park near her college campus, she started stopping by to feed them in the mornings before class.
Gretchen loved children and babysitting. She loved sunflowers. She valued alone time for reflection and devotionals. She enjoyed naps and nature walks. She knew what she wanted and pursued it. When she saw a need she jumped in to help. She adored her younger brother, Reed, and her boyfriend, Caleb, and missed them immensely when she was away at college.
An annual highlight for Gretchen was her summer trips to Iowa Bible Camp in Manson, Iowa, a camp started by her great grandfather, a minister, in 1956. She understood the significance of her Christian heritage and God’s faithfulness through the generations. She loved attending as a camper but also had enjoyed serving as a counselor the past two summers.
Gretchen was an incredible person and a bright light. Though she is absent from the body, we know that she is present with the Lord and we will cherish her memory until we are reunited one day.
Gretchen is survived by a large and loving family, including her parents, Randy and Ingrid; brother, Reed Randall Joe Warren; and longtime boyfriend, Caleb Lynch, all of Little Elm.
On her mother’s side of the family, she is survived by her grandparents, Steve and Doris Swanson, of Des Moines, IA; her aunt Liesl (Swanson) Mensinger and husband, Jeff, and their children and grandchildren — son Cody Mensinger and wife, Savannah (and son Caden), and daughter Bailey (Mensinger) Beal and husband, Brady, all of Camanche, IA; her uncle Christopher Swanson and his children Britt, Anders and Alden Swanson, all of Des Moines; and aunt Yukimi Kurata and her children Shigeto and Nozomi Kurata, all of Lisbon, Portugal.
On her father’s side of the family she is survived by her uncle Mike Warren and his daughter Karlee (Warren) Appleton and her husband, Colby, all of Lubbock, TX; her aunt Cindy Offield and her three children — son Justin McMorries (his sons Hunter, Jacob and Joshua), son Jarod McMorries and wife, Amanda (and their children Matthew, Alyssa, Laney and Jarod Jr.) and daughter Mindi (McMorries) Dunaway (her daughter Maci), all of Midland, TX.
Gretchen is preceded in death by her paternal grandparents Joe Frank and Tessie Mae (Hester) Warren.
Funeral services for Gretchen will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28, in Room 2 at First Baptist Church at The Fields at 1401 Carrollton Parkway in Carrollton, TX, 75010, with Dr. Brent Taylor and Sterling Shanks officiating. The family will receive guests from 9 to 10 a.m. in Room 2 prior to the service and are invited to stay to celebrate her life with the family following the service. Interment will be at 1 p.m. at Ridgeview West Memorial Park, 7800 Sanctuary in Frisco. For those not in attendance, the service will be live streamed promptly at 10:00 AM on Ingrid Warren's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ingrid.s.warren
In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Iowa Bible Camp.
https://iowabiblecamp.churchcenter.com/giving/to/gretchen-warren-memorial
https://sites.google.com/view/iowabiblecamp/donate?authuser=0 [sites.google.com]