Mary Frances Graves Stanfield

Mary F. Brannon Graves Stanfield was born on October 31, 1937 in El Paso, Texas to parents Ralph and Ernestine Brannon. She went to her heavenly home and met her Lord and Savior on July 11, 2023. Mary and husband Bill moved to Richards in 1972. She worked at Shell Oil Company while raising their children. Mary moved up the ranks from being a secretary to scheduling ships, tug boats and barges in the Houston Ship Channel. Even when she had to drive from Richards to downtown Houston every day, she still made time to have breakfast ready for her children and call to wake up them up in time for school. Mary took the time to write the years of her life in decades, from birth to her seventies. She wrote of changes and experiences in her own life and how all of this molded her into the person she was today. Most importantly she loved her Lord and in her later years., when she couldn't do much more, she posted a devotional to the Richards Methodist Church every day until her last days. Mary came back to Richards and worked for the post office for a short time but while her husband Bill was ill with Alzheimer's, she continued to work to support the family. When he died in 1983, she went back to work for Shell. Mary had more than 20 years with the company. Mary lived in various cities and towns in her life, including El Paso, Milano, Fort Worth and Houston, Texas, as well as Charleston, South Carolina. Her children remember her telling them stories of how her grandfather was the last mounted Texas Ranger and also the Police Chief of Waco for a time. She was proud of that history and loved to share it. She loved to read, do crossword puzzles and travel all over. She supported her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren in whatever sporting event they were involved in and always made sure she was there to cheer them on. She always enjoyed spending time with her family and will be greatly missed by many. Mary is survived by her children Jeannine Shead and husband Roger, Larry W. Graves and wife Wendy; grandchildren Amy Shead King and husband Shawn, Bradley Shead and wife Alexandria, Heath Graves, Zachary Zunker and wife Taylor and Garrison Zunker and fiancé Alyssa; great-grandchildren Sloan King, Stetson King, Axel Shead, Rhylynn Zunker, Briggs Zunker and Ramsey Kaye Zunker that is due to arrive in December. She is also survived by her sister-in-law Lucile Brannon, her special friend Roy Lee Walker, The Stanfield Family and numerous nieces, nephews, cousins and friends. She is preceded in death by her parents; step-mother Ilene Brannon; husband William S. "Bill" Graves; son John William Graves; late husband Arnold E. Stanfield; siblings Gene, Robert, John and Leon Brannon and Lois Brannon Nicar. A visitation will be held on Friday July 14, 2023 from 6:30 to 8:00pm at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home in Huntsville. A funeral service will be Saturday July 15 at 11:00am at Richards Methodist Church in Richards, Texas. Graveside service will follow at Bays Chapel Cemetery and a reception at Bays Chapel Church. Memorial condolences to the family may be made at www.shmfh.com. In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be made to Richards Methodist Church, P.O. Box 576, Richards, TX 77873 or Richards I.S.D., 9477 Panther Dr., Richards, TX 77873.

Mary Frances Graves Stanfield

October 31, 1937 - July 11, 2023