Clifford Andrew Lindloff, 93, of Waco, died peacefully at home with family by his side on Sunday, July 5, 2020
Celebration of Life Ceremony: 10AM Saturday, July 18th at Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel, 5201 Steinbeck Bend in Waco with longtime friend Leslie Jones officiating. Seating is limited and masks are required for those attending. You may watch the Live Stream of the service by Clicking HERE.
Cotton was born in Waco on May 2, 1927 and was the only child of Julius and Eline Lindloff who immigrated here from Sweden. The family is very proud of their strong Swedish heritage. Cotton was preceded in death by his loving parents; and his son, Mike Lindloff.
Cotton was a proud Waco High Tiger who earned All State awards in both football and baseball. The 1945 Waco High School football team advanced to the state championship that year against Highland Park. The game was played in the Cotton Bowl and held the record for the largest attendance, a sellout of 45,790, a record that held for 32 years. Quarterback Cotton Lindloff rallied his team with a final drive 86 yard touchdown pass play to his famous receiver James “Froggie” Williams. That play held the record for longest touchdown pass play in a Texas High School Championship game for many years. The game ended in a 7-7 tie.
Cotton was an extremely proud Texas Aggie Corp member and attended Texas A&M on a 4 year baseball scholarship. He was named All Southwest Conference in 1948 and ‘49. He also served as the ’49 Co-Captain of the team. After graduating from college, he went on to serve 2 years in the United States Army, spending some of that time in Japan. When Cotton returned to the U.S., he played baseball professionally in the minor leagues.
After playing professional baseball, Cotton began his coaching career in 1953 in Kerens. While there he met a pretty Navarro Jr College majorette named Charlotte Seabolt who would eventually become his wife. They married in 1955 and started a family in Mart. Cotton was hired as the head coach of the Mart football team where he led them to 5 District Championships and their first State football championship in 1957. While in Mart, Cotton earned a Master’s Degree from Baylor. He was offered the head baseball coaching position at A&M, but he humbly declined because of his love for football. Cotton would recall recommending his good friend Tom Chandler for the position, and the rest of that story is history.
Cotton and his family returned to Waco in 1963 becoming the head coach at Connally High School for one year, before starting a career with Worth Sports, Inc. based in Tennessee. He earned numerous top salesman awards during his 30 years working for Worth.
Cotton was a gentle, humble man who loved God, his family, and sports. He and Charlotte’s bedtime routine always included reading scriptures together. We will always remember Cotton’s funny wit and humor. His happiest moments were being with his family, watching sports or playing golf. He is survived by his wife of 65 years, Charlotte Lindloff of Waco; sons, Monty Lindloff (Angie) of Katy, Andy Lindloff (Laurie) of Frisco; daughter, Julie Warren (Scot) of Denton, daughter-in-law, Lisa Lindloff of Waco; six grandchildren, Holly Lindloff Matkins (Bennett), Heidi Lindloff Patterson (Cameron), and Chase Lindloff (Kelly), all of Houston, Stephen Michael Lindloff of Waco, Lindsay and Brenna Warren of Denton, Julianna Lindloff of Frisco; and five precious great-grandchildren, Harper, Brooks, Pierce, Sloane and Charlotte, all of Houston.
Cotton was a member of Northside Church of Christ.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to support youth activities at the church in care of Chris Borland, 2500 Parish St, Waco, TX 76705.
CLICK HERE to view Lake Shore’s current Covid Policy and Status before visiting our facility.
Place of Service: Lake Shore Funeral Home Chapel , 5201 Steinbeck Bend; Waco, TX 76708
Print Obituary & Condolences
Thinking of you all and praying for you.
Thank you Mary. He lived a long and wonderful life❤️
He was a great man! Praying for you all.
Our sweet dear “Chicago”, Cotton and entire family loved you . Thank you for the kind words❤️
PS Monty says thanks for driving him around in High school when he didn’t have a car. We always think about that FLOAT (MCC marina to Baylor Marina) down the Bosque River🤪😩❤️
Just saw your reply, Angie! Yes, fond memories of our rafting down the river through Waco. 🤪😩❤️ You all have been special people in my life.
Julie and family, I am so sorry for the loss of your father. You are all in my thoughts and prayers.
Sorry for your loss. I loved Cotton. He always made me smile. He was a very special man.
Hugs and prayers for all of you. May you all find peace and comfort during this sad time.
So sorry to hear Cotton has passed. He was coach and mentor at Mart High School. Condolences to his wife and family.
Jerry & Joan Hopkins
Thank you for your kind words. Some of Charlotte and Cotton’s most fond memories were made in Mart. Their 3 boys were all born while living there On Sunday ( in the afternoon after Cotton passed) we got a call that a package had been delivered at St Catherine’s, across the street. It was a picture of the 1957 State Champs stone monument John Eskridge (57 quarterback) took the picture and Pete Rowe and is wife had it framed and personally delivered it not realizing that Cotton had actually passed away early that morning and never got to see it. We Really appreciate this and it will be displayed at his memorial service ❤️.
I’m so sorry for your loss. Keeping your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Valeria Mills
Thinking of you all @ this time of loss of your dear Husband, Father, Granddad, & Great-granddad.
You’re in our prayers
Thinking of you during these days. Bill and Bernice Autrey
We loved our Cotton very much. He was a special dad and pal to Monty, the best father-in-law to me, and a most special, proud and loving grandfather and great grandfather to our growing family. Cotton was loved by all that knew him and will truly be missed. Our family has peace and is comforted in knowing that Cotton has eternal life and we will all see him again❤️
Best father in law anyone could have. Always curios, encouraging and supportive of what I was doing. That “atta baby” and infectious laugh would always brighten your day.
We will miss you Cotton.
Clifford “Cotton” Lindloff was as fine a man as you could ever meet. He led by example and always put his faith and family first. His humor was unique and his generosity unmatched. We will miss his smile and laughter. Our lives are missing a twinkle with Cotton not here, but heaven has a new bright star. His strength still shows us the path and his continued love helps keep us safe and secure during our journey. Until we meet again!
Prayers for peace. What an incredible legacy. Love to this amazing family.
Prayers for you, Charlotte, and your family.
Cotton was a wonderful coach and an example. He will be missed.
The Lindloff Family,
I am so sorry to hear of Cotten’s passing. My prayers for you during this time. May you find comfort in all the beautiful memories.
With love,
Laura Frazier Black
You are in our thoughts and prayers.
Cherish the memories. May God comfort you as only He can.
Herbert and Sandra
Working for the Lindloffs at the cleaners was my first job after high school. There are so many things I love about him. Here are a few memories I’ll never forget:
-His love for Charlotte
-hearing him answer the phone when one of his boys called and knowing it was one of his sons because he always said “Hey Pal!”
-him telling me that the special thing about having a daughter is that they never get too old to sit in your lap
-his love for golf and his never-ending list of golf jokes and sayings – “It can be too hot to work, but it’s never too hot to golf!”
-him trusting this 19yr old to manage his store
-he taught me how to treat customers in a way that made sure they knew how special and important they were to the business
-he taught me the value of hard work and also the idea of making your money work for you
-I loved when he’d sit and just tell us one story after another whether it was about golf, baseball, coaching, his family… he is a great storyteller!
My heart goes out to the Lindloff family and I’m praying you’ll sense a special measure of God’s grace and Peace during this time. Thank you for sharing Cotton with the rest of us!
Chad, you’re kind, sweet words were so appreciated. You could have been CEO of Comet Cleaners the first day you walked in for work. The whole family learned to love you and adore you.
All that you said about Cotton was true. He was one in a million. I was very fortunate God selected him for me. Give your family our love.
Charlotte Lindloff and family
Chad-this is such a thought-filled post and it brought Cotton to life for me in many ways. I have loved knowing Charlotte as a teacher at Connally Intermediate when I was the counselor, but I never met Cotton, unfortunately. Thank you for writing this.
Jeanine Lofgren
A very good man. A wonderful friend to all my family.
Such an amazing father-in-law to me and grandfather to Julianna! We will miss his jokes, secret saying to Julianna “ah cha cha” and Christmas rendition of “Ragtime Cowboy Joe”. He will be greatly missed by so many but will always have a very special place in our hearts! I’m sure he and my dad are in heaven sharing golf jokes 🙂
What a tremendous loss for your family but heaven welcomed a new angel Thinking of you all
I spent one of the best years of my life in the household of Cotton and Charlotte Lindloff. The love that was given to me was never less than they gave to any other family member; they were angels on earth who helped me find my path. I will miss Cotton’s quick wit, infectious laugh, and fusses over who ate the most Blue Bell ice cream. I thank him for being the perfect example of “good people”. Rest in heaven, my friend; you are home.
Andy, Mrs Lindloff and family. Sincere condolences from the Greg Moore family. Just wish I would have had him as a coach at some point in my life. I guess I kind of did. I have known some of his offspring for several years. What an example. Much love and
Prayers of comfort during your time of need.
Praying for peaceful hearts for Charlotte and family. May sweet memories sustain you through this difficult time.
Greg and Paula Gardner
What a great life lived. He will always be remembered as a legend in Mart Texas! Rest In Peace Coach, and thank you!
I met him once about 10 years ago. I grew up in Mart and when he introduced himself I knew exactly who he was and the conversation was like we had been friends a long time. I had heard many wonderful stories about him and I know He will be missed but his legacy will live on forever.
Dear Lindloff family, Gary and I want to express our sorrow at the passing of Cotton. We so enjoyed the time we spent with your family worshipping together at Elm Mott and Northside Church of Christ and being with all of you through the years. We will always be “Connally people.” Love and peace to all of you.
Gary & Ginger Patterson
Sorry for your loss!!Mrs. Lindloff you and your family are in my prayers!!
I first met Cotton Lindloff when we were in the 3rd grade at Providence Heights Elementary School and became neighborhood buddies back in the 1930’s, his home on Seneca and mine on Parrott. A nearby vacant lot became the place of choice for years for football, baseball and basketball games. I remember when we chopped down a small tree, cut off the branches and “fashioned” a basketball backboard of sorts. The tree was so “green” it sprouted a few green shoots up and down the trunk!
Fishing in a nearby creek for crawfish was something that he and I enjoyed. Mrs. Lindloff cooked them for us – my first experiences eating crawfish. Sometimes we cut grass for nearby neighbors. One summer, we worked on a Pure Milk truck to make a little money.
Probably the most fun memory we had was the summer that we hitchhiked to Galveston. (To this day, we never could believe that our parents let us do that!) We loved the beach and the ocean. After visiting there a few days with Cotton’s aunt and uncle, we safely returned to Waco on a Greyhound bus.
Following his graduation from A&M and my graduation from Baylor, I had the pleasure of serving as a groomsman when Cotton married Charlotte. Since Carole and I have returned to Waco, we have enjoyed meeting Charlotte and Cotton on many occasions for brunch. We send our love today to Charlotte and the family.
Cotton was a truthful and honest person. I feel that our long friendship has made me a better man and I am thankful that I told him that in the recent past.
During the past few years, Cotton and I have loved re-telling the same old stories about our boyhood adventures and laughing all over again. We would laugh and say that we were going to live so long that we would have to rent pallbearers. We promised each other that the one who lived longest would attend the other’s funeral. So I will be there for my old friend Cotton on Saturday. What a great guy…..I will miss him.
Rusty Sample
Rusty, thank you for all the wonderful memories you’ve shared here with all of us. Charlotte and Cotton have really enjoyed spending time with you and Carole. We took Cotton back to Seneca street several times in the past few years so that he could reminisce. Charlotte said they often talked about how hard it was to believe that Cotton’s mom allowed him to hitch hike with you to Galveston and that the plan was to sleep on the beach. We’re glad you both had a safe warm bed to sleep and made it back to Waco safely in that bus. We’re sure the crawfish Mrs.Lindloff (Nana) prepared for you were delicious. We look forward to seeing you at the service.
Fondly, The Lindloff Family
Cotton was a wonderful person. I will always treasure the memories my family and I had with him. We still laugh about the “Honey Buns!” We will miss you Cotton and look forward to seeing you again in that beautiful new home. Love you!
Julie & family. Randy & I are so sorry for your loss. Our thoughts & prayers are with you all during this difficult time.
Julie & family. Randy & I are so sorry for your loss. Our thoughts and prayers are with you all during this difficult time. We love y’all. He raised an amazing daughter.
My dear sweet Charlotte and children.
My thoughts and prayers are with you today. May Angels surround Cotton and carry him to his heavenly home. Prayers for you.
Much love. Beverly and the Cox family.
Coach Lindloff was an amazing teacher, role model and mentor to so many of us who attended Mart High School. He taught me to drive and his beautiful wife, Charlotte, taught me to twirl. I will be forever grateful to them both for helping to create a wonderful high school experience for me. There are so many wonderful stories to tell about him. He will be missed.
I am so sorry for his loss and pray for peace and strength for his family.
Sandra Smith Meridith
Oh Charlotte-How sad I am to see this. You have been in my thoughts and prayers ever since I geard about this. I was privileged to work with you when you were a teacher at Connally Internediate and I was the counselor. I always appreciated your warmth and kindness to others. I had always heard wonderful things about Cotton and all of these messages certainly bore that out. Please know I’m sending you wishes for comfort and peace during
these challenging days.
We had so many fun times together. Special memories of church trips, playing bridge, and boat trips on Whitney lake. Lindloff family, you are very special. Love, Betty Crockett
It was my privilege to have known Cotton. What a great athlete and salesman. I was fortunate to have his knowledge as a resource to call on. Always willing to give his time to work with youth sports and with such enthusiasm and drive. He was always down to earth and personable with all my projects, and I thank him dearly. Now, he will take comfort under the arm of our Lord God, forever.
So sorry for the loss of Cotton, my thoughts and prayers are with the family
So sorry to hear about Cotton. I know he had lasting impressions on many.
God Bless,
Gordon Burrow
Charlotte and family, So sorry to hear of Cotton’s passing. He and Jimmy had such a great friendship. All the stories of life in Waco football, living together in Houston and the sporting goods business. I alway enjoyed our visits with you. He will be greatly missed ; you have many memories to rely on everyday. Love Always Carolyn Beard
Fond memories, God bless Charlotte and family
Gordon Bloomfield
July 13 at 4:17 pm
Cotton was a very fine person. We were in the Army together, and played played baseball at Ft. Sam Houston in 1952 & 1953. We felt very fortunate that we did not have to go to Korea. I have the team picture on my wall of the Ft. Sam Houston team, and I am looking at it now.
My thoughts and prayers go out to you and your family.
Cotton was such a special grandfather. I will miss him so much. Especially his hugs, jokes and his infectious laugh. I am thankful for many wonderful memories and for the example that he set for me and so many others. I look forward to the day I can hug him again in heaven!
I love my Cotton so much. I am grateful for all the times I was first in the house at Christmas to “hug his neck.” We will all miss him, but we are comforted that he is in Heaven looking down on us! My babies will also miss him, but I’m so happy they have their own “Cotton” in his legacy- “Monty Ray.”
We are so sorry for your loss. He will be deeply missed.
We will really miss all the sports conversations and he was a very special and dear friend.
Charlotte we are here with you today in thoughts and prayers as We morn the passing of your beloved “Cotton”. You and Cotton were always one of our moms favorites (Bettye Williams). Mom always had the best stories to tell and there was much laughter in her stories when she would speak of Cotton as he seemed to be quite the story teller.
May God bless you and your sweet family during this time.
We love you guys! Jeanna (Williams) Kish and Boyd Williams
Charlotte we are here with you today in thoughts and prayers as We morn the passing of your beloved “Cotton”. You and Cotton were always one of our moms favorites (Bettye Williams). Mom always had the best stories to tell and there was much laughter in her stories when she would speak of Cotton as he seemed to be quite the story teller.
May God bless you and your sweet family during this time.
We love you guys! Jeanna (Williams) Kish and Boyd Williams
Cotton was always in a good mood. When I had the Jones office and he and Charlotte had the cleaners, he used to stop by every afternoon and check on his stock prices, and when we could, we would visit a few minutes. He was humble, and I knew him quite a while before he said anything about his sports accomplishments. Even then he was very modest. Just this week, I learned a whole lot more about his achievements from reading this obituary! May God comfort all of you as you adjust to living without his physical presence.
Coach Lindloff was, indeed, a kind and funny gentleman. My favorite memory of him was when he taught our health/civics class. It was a morning class. To ward off my morning sickness I would bring peanut butter crackers to class. Every time Coach walked by my desk, he would take a cracker until they were all gone. It didn’t matter if I brought 6, 8, or 10, he always ate half of them! Coach will be greatly missed. Judy and Buddy Baker
Words can’t express how special Cotton was. I know his family will miss him terribly, but what wonderful memories they have. Such a loving tribute to him during his celebration of life this morning. We will miss him. To all the extended Lindloff family, you are in our thoughts and prayers. Much love.
We am so sorry for Monty and the entire families loss. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all the family. ❤️🙏🏻
I’m so sorry for the loss of Mr. Lindloff. As former neighbors, I will always have fond memories of his kindness. My thoughts and prayers are with the entire Family.
Kathy Badley Harper
Condolences to the Liindloff family from the Banda family. Cotton was a super, super great person. Appreciated his friendship. Our prayers are with you. George and Grace Banda.
Condolences to your family. Your dad was a very wonderful man. Thoughts and prayers to your family.
I really enjoyed getting to meet “Cotton” (and Charlotte) several times at Scot & Julie’s. Having a “Lindloff” connection through my work with Darol at Panda, I could see the family connection. Darol loved baseball too – as did Cotton. Cotton’s quick smile and easy going personality made you feel like you made a new friend immediately. I will miss getting to see him…