Download a Prayer Guide

About Julie

Julia Anne (Elliott) Blanchard (Julie) went home to be with Jesus on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at 12:28 PM, surrounded by her family and her dearest friend, at Methodist Hospital in Houston. Julie was born on May 7, 1960, to Charles and Iona Elliott of Garden City, Missouri – she was the second of four children.

In 1982, Julie moved to Houston to pursue her dreams. Shortly after arriving, she began attending Westminster Methodist Church where she met and later married the love of her life Randy Blanchard. Together they raised three fantastic sons – Ethan, Andrew and Alec, who were all by her side in her final days. Nothing brought her more joy than being with her boys and her two grandchildren, Wyatt and Ellie.

Julie was known for her warm and caring personality. At work, at church, in her gardening club and anywhere else that she happened to be, she was always outgoing and friendly and made everyone in her presence feel like they belonged. When she focused on a task or a project – look out. It was going to be done, and done in an excellent way. Some would call her obsessive or a perfectionist; both true, but only with the best of intentions and the highest expectations.

There is no good way to describe what Julie did as a staff member at Grace Houston from 2005-2025. She was the hub around which so many activities revolved. So many people relied on her for information and direction, but most of all, for her loving touch and her attention to detail that most people would never think of doing.

Her husband, children, and grandchildren have built “Julie’s Garden” at Grace in her honor. We pray it blesses you and your family.

635121458_10226810100992499_1050763172844031140_n.jpg
633946125_10226810102312532_7261954894095249685_n.jpg
635132309_10226810103712567_1605897197506418786_n.jpg
635395242_10226810103032550_7640743952884093703_n.jpg
610468801_877249721549382_200444281809543102_n.jpg
633444555_10226810104192579_6636740045437507110_n.jpg

What’s in the Garden?

If you are an avid gardener like Julie, you will want to know what has been planted and the intention behind why it was planted in the space.

  • The stones in the garden came from Cass County, MO, just a few miles from where Julie was born and raised, appropriately in Garden City, MO.  The largest standing stone represents Julie. The matching sandstones to the left represent her husband Randy and the three other stones along the North end are her three sons (from back to front) Ethan, Andrew, and Alec.

    The green crushed stone (glauconite) for the walkways came from a quarry in Hemphill, TX, where we had been buying a property and making retirement plans. It is quite rare and only quarried in a few places in the country.

  • The crepe myrtle trees (white/pink/purple) were all rescued from a beautiful garden in Montgomery, TX, that was going to be demolished for new development. 

    The four crepe myrtle trees in an arc at the south end of the walkway represent (back to front) Julie and her three siblings (Jeff, Julie, Jeanie, and Jerry). Julie’s is purple and the others crepe myrtles are white.

  • The roses on the entry arbor are Peggy Martin Roses (pink) - Julie's favorite variety.

  • The flowering plants and shrubs include:

    • Viburnum (white)

    • Bottle brush (red)

    • Vitex (blue)

    • Indian Hawthorne (white/pink),

    • Loropetalum (pink/purple),

    • Blue daze (blue)

    • African iris (yellow)

    • Social garlic (lavender)

    • White jasmine (on the iron panels)

    • Shrimp plants (orange/pink)

    • Tropical milkweed (orange/red) 

    The only non-flowering plants in the garden are the pink muhly grass next to the arbor and at the base of the Julie stone.

  • In the grove are (6) European olive trees and over a dozen varieties of native wildflowers.