Billie Ruth (Graham) Pearce

TUSCOLA: Billie Ruth Pearce, 88, passed away on Saturday, February 15, 2020, after a short illness. A graveside service will be held on Saturday, February 22, 2020, at 3:00pm in the Tuscola Cemetery, officiated by Ryan Goodwin, directed by Fry~Smith Funeral Home, Tuscola. A visitation will be held on Saturday February 22, from 1:00 to 2:45pm at the funeral home in Tuscola.

Billie Ruth was born on December 16, 1931 to John Eugene and Eunice Rae (Cranford) Graham in Tuscola. She attended school at Southern Taylor County and graduated in 1948. She married William O'neal Pearce on November 4, 1949, in Ovalo. They settled in southern Taylor county, where he went to work in construction and she was a homemaker, as they started their family. They moved to Oklahoma where O'neal worked as a building contractor. They moved their family back to Tuscola after eight years in Oklahoma.

The early years, Billie was a homemaker, after the children left the house, she went to work for the city of Tuscola as the city secretary. She was responsible for running the day in and day out business of a small town. She served the city and the citizens of Tuscola for thirty-three years. She was a member of the Texas municipal Clerk’s Association Bluebonnet Chapter.

She was a member of the Lions Club and VFW Aux.

Billie Ruth loved to sew, she enjoyed fishing, bowling, dancing, gardening, and even help manage the Bingo hall at the American Legion, Bingo being one of her favorite pass times. Her passion was traveling the great state of Texas. Billie believed that Texas was big enough to see about everything.

She was a devoted bible reader and was very active in the Tuscola United Methodist Church.

She is survived by her daughters, Connye Russell and husband Mike of Apache, Ok, Peggy Smith of Tuscola; sons, Billy Pearce  and wife Gena of Abilene, Bobby Pearce and wife Dianne of Tuscola; sister, Betty Bedford of Abilene. She is also survived by numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her husband O'neal (dec 1997), parents, grandsons, Jason William Russell, Christopher Shane Pearce, father and mother in law, Bruce and Becky Pearce, and son in law Tim Smith.

In lieu of flowers donations can be made to Tuscola United Methodist Church,   702 7th St, Tuscola, TX 79562.