Lois Graham Helvenston

A memorial service celebrating the life of Lois Graham Helvenston will be held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, June 19, 2010, at Winterfield United Methodist Church in Longview with the Dr. Rick Webb and the Reverend Rita Sims officiating. Visitation will follow the memorial service at the church. A burial service under the direction of Rader Funeral Home of Longview will be held at Stewart Cemetery on Friday, June 18, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. Mrs. Helvenston was born in Rusk County on April 5, 1922, to Mabel and J. O. Graham. She died on June 15, 2010. A graduate of Tatum High School, Mrs. Helvenston also received a diploma from Tyler Commercial College. She worked as a bookkeeper and accountant for a number of area businesses, including Premier Refining, Trice Production Company, Q. C. Murphy Accounting, Oleum, Inc., and York Pump. In addition, Mrs. Helvenston was a member of American Business Women?s Association and Zonta Club. Since 2006, Mrs. Helvenston enjoyed residing at Buckner Westminster Place where she made many new friends and became reacquainted with old ones. In addition to her long career in accounting, Mrs. Helvenston was a devoted wife and mother. While her grandsons were the joy of her life, she received even more pleasure from her great granddaughters. Mrs. Helvenston is survived by two daughters and sons-in-law, Kathy and James Williams of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, and Kay and John Ray of Longview; two grandsons and their wives, Jon and Ann Williams of Plano, Texas, and Chris and Becca Ray of Fort Worth, Texas; and three great-granddaughters, Sarah and Megan Williams and Nora Ray. Mrs. Helvenston was preceded in death by her beloved husband of sixty years, Leonard E. Helvenston, and her parents. The family wishes to thank the staff of Buckner Westminster Place, Hawthorne House, for their loving and faithful care during Mrs. Helvenston's illness, and the love and support of special friends, Shirley and Jimmy Alford, Bobbie Jo Walker, Grace Rainey and Mary Hale. The family requests that memorials be made to the Longview ISD Foundation, Inc., P. O. Box 3268, Longview, Texas 75606, Winterfield United Methodist Church, 2616 Tryon Road, Longview, Texas 75605, or the Stewart Cemetery Association, 12015 CR 2143N, Henderson, Texas 75652.

Lois Graham Helvenston

April 5, 1922 - June 15, 2010