Julie McMullen
Julie Kay Spring McMullen, a loving wife, mother, and community member, passed away at home on Nov. 15, 2023, surrounded by her family and loyal dog. She was 76 years old.
A celebration of life will be held at the McMullen Fine Arts Center in Hamilton on Dec. 16 at 11 a.m., where friends and family will gather to celebrate her remarkable life.
Born on Aug. 30, 1947, in Corpus Christi, Julie was the daughter of Dr. Jacob and Mary Spring. The family later relocated to Uvalde, where she graduated from Uvalde High School in 1965. Julie attended Southwestern University in Georgetown, where she majored in education. During her time at Southwestern, she became a member of the Tri Delta sorority and crossed paths with her future husband, Andy Joe McMullen of Weslaco.
After graduating from Southwestern in 1969, Julie moved to Edna, where she taught high school history while Andy attended Baylor Law School. The couple exchanged vows on Aug. 17, 1971, at Terrytown United Methodist Church in Austin.
Following their wedding, they chose Hamilton as their home — a town they considered “the ideal small Texas town” in which to build their life together. Julie continued her career in education, teaching history at Hamilton High School and earning a master’s degree in education from Tarleton State University.
Julie and Andy were blessed with two children, Andrew Porter in 1976 and Aaron Spring in 1980.
In addition to being a loving mother, Julie was an active and engaged member of the Hamilton community. She played a vital role in establishing the inaugural Hamilton Dove Festival and contributed to various organizations, including the Hamilton Woman’s Council, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton Master Gardeners, Hamilton Public Library and the Hamilton Hospital Foundation. Julie was an astute businesswoman. In 1985, she co-founded Plain & Fancy with her friend and business partner Betty Ethetton.
Her passion for plants, nurtured during her time with the Hamilton Master Gardeners, led her to establish McMullen Farms in 2018.
In her later years, Julie dedicated much of her time to pursuing her passions, including traveling the world, enhancing her beloved Hamilton community and cherishing moments with her children and grandchildren.
Julie is preceded in death by her parents, Dr. Jacob and Mary Spring of Austin, and her brother, Gary Spring of Hamilton.
She is survived by her loving husband of 52 years, Andy McMullen; and her two sons, Andrew McMullen and his wife Amy, along with their three daughters Madison, Megan, and Camryn of Dallas, and Aaron McMullen of Austin.
The McMullen family would like to extend their heartfelt gratitude to Dr. Randy Lee and the dedicated caregivers at Hamilton General Hospital and Baylor Scott & White for their unwavering support during Julie’s 13-year
