So for anyone who wants to solve this problem, I found a way to do it.

Installed the free program Right Click Enhancer and used the "New Menu Editor." The window opens to show all enabled items in the New shell menu. Microsoft Office Word is enabled and listed as either .doc or .docx (or both). Clicked the red X to remove .doc.

Scrolled down to find .doc again in the disabled list. Highlighted it by single-clicking. Went up to top toolbar and clicked the chevron (drop-down arrow) next to the green check mark. Chose TEMPLATE. Browser window opens to navigate to the template you want associated with this shell menu shortcut. Note that the default file selection is .doc so templates won't appear in the nav window but go to the folder where you know the template is, and manually type in the template's name. In my case, "Normal.dotm" (no quotes), then click OPEN.

Right Click Enhancer will associate the template with .doc and this shortcut, and enable it in the New menu. Now right-click on any empty space -> New -> Microsoft Office Word ... and the doc will open using the Normal.dotm template (or your template of choice).

Where there's a will, there's a way. And...

...You're welcome.