Helen Minefee Graves

Helen Jayne Minefee Graves, 66, of Corsicana passed away Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2007, after a short battle with cancer. Visitation will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday at Griffin-Roughton Funeral Home. Service will be 10 a.m. Saturday at Griffin-Roughton Chapel with Rodney Bancroft and Steve Orbison officiating. Interment will follow at Hamilton-Beeman Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Paschal Nichols, Tad Bates, Mike Kaster, Charlie Robinson, Jerry Morehead and Gary Morehead. Honorary pallbearers will be Sonny Weakley, Bud Glanville, David Jock, Mickey McCain, Chuck Goff and Wayne Pritchett. Mrs. Graves was born Nov. 28, 1940, in Navarro County where she spent her entire life. At a young age, she gave her heart and soul to Christ and she was a member of Providence Baptist Church in the Mildred area. She went to school in Blooming Grove where she played softball and basketball. Later she met Douglas, married and moved to Mildred in 1957. She worked for six years with Texas Miller Hat Company, then 12 1/2 years for Haggar Slacks. In January 1977, she began working for Curington Cleaners as the alteration person, where she worked until December 2006 when her health forced her to retire. She also ran a small sewing shop at her home for 30 years. On the weekend she and her husband ran the concession stand for six years for horse events throughout the year at the Navarro County Exposition Center. They were horse lovers and rode in horse events for many years. They were active in Tri-Co. Horse Association, Roane Riding Club as well as the Retreat Riding Club. For over 40 years, they were members and workers with the Central Texas Quarter Horse Association, where she served as president for several years as well as other offices over the years. She was preceded in death by her parents, John Wesley and Gladys Ella Minefee; husband, Douglas Eugene Graves; daughter, Debbie Lynn Graves Glanville; and two sisters, Frances Louise Minefee and Patsy Gelene Hanson. Survivors include her son, Larry Gene Graves and Lexia of Corsicana; grandchildren, Crystal and Aaron Teerlink of Urbana, Mo., Donnie and Melissa Morehead of Sedalia, Mo., Charlie Glanville, Cassandra Glanville and son-in-law Charles "Bud" Glanville, all of Urbana, Mo.; brothers, Johnny and Sandra Minefee of Fort Worth and Donnie and Teresa Minefee of Benbrook; sisters, Marie and J.L. Bentley of Burleson, Dorothy and Edwin Grounds of Everman and Linda and Larry Lackey of Joshua; and numerous nieces and nephews. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the church of your choice.

Helen Minefee Graves

February 6, 2007