Frances Bell Graves was born in El Paso, Texas, on March 25, 1929. She passed away on April 20, 2019, in Houston, Texas, surrounded by her family. Her parents Clyde Bell and Kathleen Cocke Bell, as well as her beloved husband Charles Evans Graves, preceded her in death. She is survived by her children Jack Graves, Judy Graves, Sue Miller, and Jane Graves Smith; their spouses Yelena, Orell, Oscar, and Glenn; nephews Gary Stewart and Kirk Stewart; their spouses Jan and Cheryl; grandchildren Jessica Hutchinson, Carlee Johnson, Emma Graves Fitzsimmons, Mary Jess Kitchen, Dylan Smith, Anna Miller, Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Andrew Graves, Katya Graves and 10 great-grandchildren.
Frances was a thespian and scholar in high school and college. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Radio from Texas Western College, now known as the University of Texas at El Paso, in 1949. While there, she worked as a broadcaster at KVOF (KTEP), one of the first public radio stations in the country. She also met Charles Graves, the love of her life, whom she married a few weeks after graduation. They moved to Phoenix a few years later and settled in the Maryvale neighborhood. Frances raised her kids and volunteered at Margaret Brooks Memorial Methodist Church and First Assembly of God Church. Bilingual and multicultural from an early age, she traveled to Nicaragua with Witness for Peace in the early 1980s. She and Charley spent much of their “retirement” years traveling – especially to Mexico to do missionary work, building churches and homes and sharing God’s love. After Charley passed away in 1994, Frances kept up this missionary work on her own into her 80s. She continued to put her faith into action; marching (often carrying a sign that said “Blessed are the Peacemakers”) in ACORN national actions and against the war in Iraq in 2003. After moving to Houston, she was an active member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and volunteered at Casa Juan Diego, the Catholic Worker House.
Frances poured all of her life and love into her family, which extended far beyond actual relatives. She was generous, kind, friendly, funny, optimistic, smart, strong, patient and non-judgmental. She loved the outdoors, especially walking, camping and just sitting in the warm sun. Her favorite star was Venus, the morning star which was a prayer-meditation focus every day she could find it in the sky.
There will be memorial services in Phoenix and Houston; details to come. Her ashes will be scattered in Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona. The family would like to acknowledge and thank her hospice staff, as well as the staff at the group home where she lived during the final years of her life. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Casa Juan Diego at P.O. Box 70113, Houston, TX 77270 or cjd.org
Frances was a thespian and scholar in high school and college. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Radio from Texas Western College, now known as the University of Texas at El Paso, in 1949. While there, she worked as a broadcaster at KVOF (KTEP), one of the first public radio stations in the country. She also met Charles Graves, the love of her life, whom she married a few weeks after graduation. They moved to Phoenix a few years later and settled in the Maryvale neighborhood. Frances raised her kids and volunteered at Margaret Brooks Memorial Methodist Church and First Assembly of God Church. Bilingual and multicultural from an early age, she traveled to Nicaragua with Witness for Peace in the early 1980s. She and Charley spent much of their “retirement” years traveling – especially to Mexico to do missionary work, building churches and homes and sharing God’s love. After Charley passed away in 1994, Frances kept up this missionary work on her own into her 80s. She continued to put her faith into action; marching (often carrying a sign that said “Blessed are the Peacemakers”) in ACORN national actions and against the war in Iraq in 2003. After moving to Houston, she was an active member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and volunteered at Casa Juan Diego, the Catholic Worker House.
Frances poured all of her life and love into her family, which extended far beyond actual relatives. She was generous, kind, friendly, funny, optimistic, smart, strong, patient and non-judgmental. She loved the outdoors, especially walking, camping and just sitting in the warm sun. Her favorite star was Venus, the morning star which was a prayer-meditation focus every day she could find it in the sky.
There will be memorial services in Phoenix and Houston; details to come. Her ashes will be scattered in Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona. The family would like to acknowledge and thank her hospice staff, as well as the staff at the group home where she lived during the final years of her life. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Casa Juan Diego at P.O. Box 70113, Houston, TX 77270 or cjd.org
Frances Bell Graves was born in El Paso, Texas, on March 25, 1929. She passed away on April 20, 2019, in Houston, Texas, surrounded by her family. Her parents Clyde Bell and Kathleen Cocke Bell, as well as her beloved husband Charles Evans Graves, preceded her in death. She is survived by her children Jack Graves, Judy Graves, Sue Miller, and Jane Graves Smith; their spouses Yelena, Orell, Oscar, and Glenn; nephews Gary Stewart and Kirk Stewart; their spouses Jan and Cheryl; grandchildren Jessica Hutchinson, Carlee Johnson, Emma Graves Fitzsimmons, Mary Jess Kitchen, Dylan Smith, Anna Miller, Guthrie Graves-Fitzsimmons, Andrew Graves, Katya Graves and 10 great-grandchildren.
Frances was a thespian and scholar in high school and college. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Radio from Texas Western College, now known as the University of Texas at El Paso, in 1949. While there, she worked as a broadcaster at KVOF (KTEP), one of the first public radio stations in the country. She also met Charles Graves, the love of her life, whom she married a few weeks after graduation. They moved to Phoenix a few years later and settled in the Maryvale neighborhood. Frances raised her kids and volunteered at Margaret Brooks Memorial Methodist Church and First Assembly of God Church. Bilingual and multicultural from an early age, she traveled to Nicaragua with Witness for Peace in the early 1980s. She and Charley spent much of their “retirement” years traveling – especially to Mexico to do missionary work, building churches and homes and sharing God’s love. After Charley passed away in 1994, Frances kept up this missionary work on her own into her 80s. She continued to put her faith into action; marching (often carrying a sign that said “Blessed are the Peacemakers”) in ACORN national actions and against the war in Iraq in 2003. After moving to Houston, she was an active member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and volunteered at Casa Juan Diego, the Catholic Worker House.
Frances poured all of her life and love into her family, which extended far beyond actual relatives. She was generous, kind, friendly, funny, optimistic, smart, strong, patient and non-judgmental. She loved the outdoors, especially walking, camping and just sitting in the warm sun. Her favorite star was Venus, the morning star which was a prayer-meditation focus every day she could find it in the sky.
There will be memorial services in Phoenix and Houston; details to come. Her ashes will be scattered in Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona. The family would like to acknowledge and thank her hospice staff, as well as the staff at the group home where she lived during the final years of her life. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Casa Juan Diego at P.O. Box 70113, Houston, TX 77270 or cjd.org
Frances was a thespian and scholar in high school and college. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Radio from Texas Western College, now known as the University of Texas at El Paso, in 1949. While there, she worked as a broadcaster at KVOF (KTEP), one of the first public radio stations in the country. She also met Charles Graves, the love of her life, whom she married a few weeks after graduation. They moved to Phoenix a few years later and settled in the Maryvale neighborhood. Frances raised her kids and volunteered at Margaret Brooks Memorial Methodist Church and First Assembly of God Church. Bilingual and multicultural from an early age, she traveled to Nicaragua with Witness for Peace in the early 1980s. She and Charley spent much of their “retirement” years traveling – especially to Mexico to do missionary work, building churches and homes and sharing God’s love. After Charley passed away in 1994, Frances kept up this missionary work on her own into her 80s. She continued to put her faith into action; marching (often carrying a sign that said “Blessed are the Peacemakers”) in ACORN national actions and against the war in Iraq in 2003. After moving to Houston, she was an active member of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church and volunteered at Casa Juan Diego, the Catholic Worker House.
Frances poured all of her life and love into her family, which extended far beyond actual relatives. She was generous, kind, friendly, funny, optimistic, smart, strong, patient and non-judgmental. She loved the outdoors, especially walking, camping and just sitting in the warm sun. Her favorite star was Venus, the morning star which was a prayer-meditation focus every day she could find it in the sky.
There will be memorial services in Phoenix and Houston; details to come. Her ashes will be scattered in Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona. The family would like to acknowledge and thank her hospice staff, as well as the staff at the group home where she lived during the final years of her life. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Casa Juan Diego at P.O. Box 70113, Houston, TX 77270 or cjd.org
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