Obituary of Bessie LaJeanne Graham

Bessie "Jeanne" LaJeanne Graham October 24, 1929 - July 21, 2007 Jeanne Graham, 77, community leader and mother of Leader Publisher John Graham, died Saturday evening at Covenant Hospital in Lubbock. Mrs. Graham suffered a massive stroke Wednesday afternoon at her home where she and her husband Hop had just finished lunch. She never regained consciousness. Mrs. Graham, a former Citizen of the Year, is widely known for her community service work. She, along with Dorothy Runnels and Esta Lou Morgan, were the driving forces when the old Commercial Hotel was purchased by the Lovington Woman's Club, laying the foundation for the present-day Lea County Museum. She had been a writer and held various posts at the Leader since moving here with her husband and family in 1965. She was still employed as a reporter, but with a reduced work load, when she was stricken. She was a big supporter of the Lea County Fair and Rodeo and 4-H and FFA programs. The fair was dedicated to her one year and she rode in the parade as marshal. A former farm and ranch girl from Silverton, Texas, she won the State Champion Cook title in the New Mexico Cowbelles competition in 1995 and competed in the national beef cookoff contest in Sacramento, California. Jeanne was born on October 24, 1929, in Silverton, the eldest daughter of Milton and Zelda Dudley. She was graduated from Texas Tech in 1950 with a degree in journalism and took a job at the State Line Tribune in Farwell, Texas, where she met her future husband, Hop, the publisher's son. They were married June 6, 1952, at her home in Silverton. She was preceded in death by her parents, Milton & Zelda Dudley, a son, Ron, who was killed in an ultralight plane crash in 1985, and a brother Norlan Dudley. She is survived by her husband, Hop, of the home; 4 sons, Hal Graham and his wife Sandy of Stephenville, Texas, Andy Graham of Los Angeles, California, Steve Graham and his wife Carolyn and children, Kate and Jack of Los Angeles, California and John Graham and his wife Jeanine of Lovington; 2 grandsons, Jaron Graham and his wife Elizabeth of Overland Park, Kansas, and Tyler Graham, a student at Texas Tech; 1 granddaughter, LaShawn Byrd and her husband Brian and great-grandsons Gunnar and Major of Lovington. She is also survived by a daughter-in-law, Gina Fort of Lovington; a grandson, Dustin Graham, of Socorro; and a granddaughter, Courtney Graham of Lovington. Two sisters, Connie Comer and her husband Buddy of Lubbock, Texas; Mary Davis and her husband Carroll, of Silverton, Texas and a sister –in-law, Doris Dudley of Tulia, Texas. Funeral services are under the direction of Kirby-Smith-Rogers Funeral Home & will be at First United Methodist Church at 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 25 with Rev. Vergil Ichtertz, minister, assisted by Rev. Jaron Graham, conducting services. Pallbearers will be sons and grandsons. Visitation will be from 8:00 am until 8:00 pm on Tuesday, July 24th with the family in attendance from 4 pm until 7 pm. Memorials may be made to Lea County Museum, 103 South Love, Lovington, N.M. 88260.