Graham

Mary Joy (Timmerman) Graham, 82, of Thorndale died Thursday, March 29, 2018, at Little River Hospital in Rockdale.

Memorial services were held Monday, April 2, at Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Rockdale.

Mrs. Graham was born Jan. 28, 1936, at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Blackburn in Rockdale to Harry and Mary Ethel (Simmons) Timmerman.

She lived in Rockdale until World War II began and the family moved to Orange. When the war ended the family moved back to Rockdale.

Mrs. Graham attended schools in Rockdale, graduating from RHS in May 1953.

She married Billy Clark Graham on Aug. 1, 1953.

Raised in Milam County, she lived outside Texas only while her husband served in the U.S. Army.

The Grahams returned home to Milam County where they lived a short time in Rockdale before returning back to the home place Billy loved in Thorn-dale.

Mrs. Graham worked at Gaither Motor Co., Rock-dale State Bank, City of Rockdale, Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home and Rockdale Sandow & Southern Railroad Co. to 1969, when she became employed at Alcoa. In 1975 she was promoted as Rockdale Operations first female supervisor in the mechanical maintenance department. She was promoted to electrode area supervisor in 1982 and in 1988 to quality systems supervisor. She retired in 1996.

After retirement, her passion was preserving history in Milam County. Her love of history was shared from 1996-2013 with Milam County as she wrote “Bits of Milam County History.”

Mrs. Graham was active with restoring the Milam County Courthouse, chairing Milam County “Preserve Our Past” Committee to raise matching funds to restore the courthouse. She was recognized for her service with the Milam County Historical Commission, receiving the 2003 Texas Historical Commission John Ben Shepperd Award for Outstanding County Historical Commission Chairman. She was also recognized by the Rockdale Chamber of Commerce and received 2008 Rockdale Outstanding Citizen of the Year award.

Mrs. Graham served at Temple College on Taylor Board of Directors, serving as President and secretary from 1997 to 2013, Milam County Child Welfare Board, Milam County Appraisal Board, Milam County Historical Commission chair from 2000 through 2004 and chair of Milam County Certifi ed Local Government Committee until 2007 and 2014-2015, El Camino Real de los Tejas National Trail on the state board of directors in 2007, serving as secretary and vice-president until 2014.

Mrs. Graham was a member of Rock-dale Eastern Star Chapter, Three Missions Chapter of “Daughters of the American Revolution” in Milam County, Linwood Acres Garden Club, Matinee Music Club, Rock-dale Friends of the Library, Thorndale and Rockdale Chamber of Commerce, Kay Theater board of directors and Rockdale Downtown Association.

Her volunteer work supported historical preservation across the county.

She also enjoyed the study of genealogy.

Mrs. Graham co-authored the Arcadia book El Camino Real de los Tejas National Trail and later co-authored Historical Bridges of Milam County.

She was a member of the Meadowbrook Baptist Church in Rockdale.

Mrs. Graham was preceded in death by father, Harry Timmerman; her mother, Mary Ethel Gore; two brothers, John Henry “Johnny” Timmerman and Harry Thomas “Tommy” Timmerman; her grandparents, John H. and Ida Tim-merman, and Enoch and Mary Luella Simmons.

Survivors are her husband Billy Graham, and two daughters, Mary Lee Dyess and Darlen Graham; also, three grandchildren and five great-grandchildren, as well as numerous nieces and nephews and two puppies, Mitze and Happy.

Memorials may be made to Meadowbrook Baptist Church, 1401 Colorado Ave., Rockdale, TX 76567 or to a charity of your choice.