anna louise (smitherman) gravenor
Anna Louise Gravenor Anna Louise
Gravenor passed away December 27, 2012 surrounded by family after a
year-long battle with cancer. Louise was born August 4, 1931 to J.M.
(Jodie) and Hazel Smitherman. She attended Henly School until it closed
and then graduated Valedictorian from Johnson City High School in 1948.
She obtained a B.A from Southwest Texas State Teachers College and
began her teaching career in 1951. She married Benwill Gravenor on
September 27, 1952. Mrs. Gravenor's teaching career spanned 37 years in
Thorndale, Blanco, Dripping Springs and Johnson City. She was an
influential teacher to thousands and described by former students as a
"tough but fair" teacher who earned their respect because "she made you
learn." She invented and obtained a copyright on her "Sentian from the
Land of Grammaria," a fun tool for teaching sentence diagramming. She
loved her family and friends, her church, her community, her neighbors
and everyone around her. She was always eager to roll up her sleeves
and help with whatever need arose for anyone she knew. She was an
active member of the First Baptist Church of Johnson City, Johnson City
Community Education Foundation, and the Johnson City Garden Club.
Louise had many varied interests, serving as the 1988 President of the
Early Ford V-8 Club of America, Capitol City Regional Group, was an
avid reader, a life-long learner and teacher; she enjoyed traveling,
meeting new people and was loved and respected by all. Louise was
preceded in death by her parents and her husband. She is survived by
her daughters Peggy Ginn and husband Joe Ginn, and Annette Contreras
and husband Joe Contreras, her grandson, Dylan Ginn and wife Marina,
great-granddaughter Juliette Ginn, her brother Joe Smitherman and wife
Anita, her sister-in-law Sally Gravenor and many cousins, nieces and
nephews. Visitation will be from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. Sunday December 30,
2012 and services on Monday, December 31, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. at Crofts
Funeral Home in Johnson City. Memorial contributions may be made to the
Johnson City Community Education Foundation, P. O. Box 1248, Johnson
City, TX 78636.