Willie Mae (Colvin) Graves

Livestream of Service : https://livestream.com/npw/events/10586403

Mother Willie Mae (Colvin) Graves, 95 of Midland, Texas was born February 12, 1927 in Burton, Texas.  Her parents were Alec and Caroline Thomas.  Her Grandparents were Walter and Julia Brown of Washington County.  She came to Midland, Texas in 1945 with a dashing husband, the late Alfred Colvin, Sr. of Giddings, Texas and they were married for twenty four years.  Both came from the country to live in the big city.  Mother Willie Mae (Colvin) Graves worked in domestic  services and she did nurse’s aide work under the late Dr. Viola Coleman.  Later in the years to follow, she remarried (Leroy Graves).  The marriage was short lived and she became a widow, but God blessed her to grow in ministry and to serve in the church with reaching lost souls for Christ.

Mother Graves constantly pursued her desire for education.  She would reach for higher means to better herself and her family’s future.  She was a studious reader and a believer of building a wonderful life for her family.  She received salvation at an early age of 10 years old.  She was a country home grown gardener.  She would always grow huge amounts of vegetables and was very industrious with keeping up her household.   Mother Graves birthed 6 children known as the Colvin Clan.  She was a mentor of people of all ages, a teacher of excellent work ethics, an evangelist for Jesus, a spiritual singer and much more as she lived the holiness life.  Her life in the church was filled with great leadership as she grew loving and serving God under such leaders as her first pastor, Elder Nelson Tapplin, the late Bishop J. E. Alexander, Supt. Amos Taylor, Supt. W. Weatherspoon, and the late Elder I.M. Stanford here in West Texas.  Mother Graves touched so many lives, the old and the young.  She would be called to cook for places she had worked for, her church, her family and for families in need.  Mother Graves brought the country to the family table cooking dinner delights, cakes and pies, cornbread, beans and greens and made Sunday afternoon homemade ice cream.  She did much sewing and making clothes for her family and other people.  Many times she made choir robes for churches, she and her mother.

Mother Graves served faithfully her church and the community.  She was a Bible researcher of the word of God and loved to do arts and crafts of the Holy Tabernacle.  Eventually, after reaching a golden age, her physical body abilities became limited.  She served at the Lighthouse Pentecostal Church while under Bishop Barak Stanford.  Later in her declining years, she became a member of the Parks Memorial Church of God in Christ of Odessa, Texas, where her son the Elder Roy L. Colvin, Sr. serves as pastor.

She leaves to cherish her memory: beloved daughters Mary Helen Freeman, and Joy Lynn Clayter, four sons; Alfred Colvin, Jr. (Alma), Tommy Lee Colvin (Denise), Elder Roy Lee Colvin, Sr. (Teresa) and Daniel Webster Colvin and a host of 3 generations of Grands.  Mother Willie Mae (Colvin) Graves was preceded in death by her mother Caroline (Brown) Gentry,  brothers; Johnny Harris, Eddie B. Harris, Clarence Thomas and Curtis Thomas, and her sister; Rosie B. Cunningham Jackson affectionately the two were called Bee and Sister.

Jesus said unto him, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).

Wake service will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., Thursday, August 18, 2022 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Chapel.  Funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Friday, August 19, 2022 at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Chapel, with interment following at Serenity Memorial Gardens Cemetery.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland.  Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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