Mary Ross (Noble) Graves Obituary
Mary Ross Noble Graves
December 3, 1935 – September 24, 2026
Mary Ross Noble Graves, 90, passed away September 24, 2026, in Kemp, Texas. Born December 3, 1935, in Eustace to Robert Cecil Noble and Bernice Bivian Smith Noble, Mary cherished the close extended family and hometown that shaped her life.
In 1941, her family moved to Wichita, Kansas, where her father worked at Beechcraft and her mother at Boeing, building aircraft during World War II. Mary attended her first years of school there. She briefly returned to Eustace to live with her grandparents while her parents continued their wartime work, then rejoined them in Wichita. The family came home to Eustace after the war in 1945.
Mary graduated from Eustace High School in 1954 and moved to Dallas, sharing an apartment with a high school friend. There she met Hugh Allen “H.A.” Graves, the love of her life. They married in 1955, and their son, David, was born in 1956. The family lived in Dallas, Farmers Branch and Carrollton before Mary and H.A. built their retirement home in Eustace in 1990. Returning to the place where her story began brought her great happiness.
A devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Mary took particular joy in welcoming her great-grandson, Levi. She loved tending her garden, playing the piano and painting in oils. Her appreciation for the American Southwest inspired an extensive collection of Southwestern and Native American jewelry. She and H.A. treasured their travels, especially to New Mexico, Colorado and Hawaii.
After 66 years of marriage, Mary lost H.A. in 2021. She remained in their Eustace home, surrounded by memories of the life they had made together.
Mary is survived by her son, David Allen Graves and his wife, Marlene, of the Kaufman area; grandson Christopher Allen Graves and his wife, Tera, and their son, Levi Allen Graves, of the Farmersville area; step-grandson James Julian Irey and his wife, Priscilla, of Groton, Connecticut; brother Max Noble of Eustace; half-brother Kenny Bob Berry and his wife, Beverly, of Cloudcroft, New Mexico; and numerous nieces and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her husband, H.A.; her parents, Robert Cecil and Bernice Noble; half-brother Joe Bob Berry; and her grandparents, Robert and Mary Ramsey Noble and Ross and Mary Key Smith.
Mary will be remembered for her devotion to family, her love of home and the beauty she found in gardens, art and the places she traveled. Her memories of growing up in Eustace stayed with her throughout her life, and she shared those stories with the generations who followed. The family she loved so deeply remains her enduring legacy.
A service for Mary will be held Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at 2 p.m. at Moorhead Funeral Home in Gun Barrel City, Texas.
