October 12, 1928 –  May 11, 2012  Funeral services for Willie A. Cravens, age 83, of Whitesboro, Texas will be held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, May 14, at the First Baptist Church of Whitesboro with Rev. Mike Flanagan officiating. Interment will follow at Oakwood Cemetery in Whitesboro. The family night will be held on Sunday, May 13, from 6 -8 p.m., at the funeral home. Service arrangements are under the direction of Meador Funeral Home in Whitesboro, Texas.Willie went to be with the Lord on Friday, May 11, 2012, at Homestead of Sherman. He was born on October 12, 1928, the son of Claude and Linnie Cravens. He married Freddie Lee Gray on June 21, 1953, at Sadler Baptist Church. He graduated from Cooke County College in June 1958 and went to work for Texaco. He moved with his family to Olney, Texas in 1960. In 1965, he was transferred to Electra, TX. In 1967, he and his wife opened a Western Auto store in Whitesboro and operated it until 1985. After the business, he obtained a real estate license and worked for Coldwell Bankers for five years.
Willie enjoyed traveling in his RV trailer and spent several summers in Southfork, Colorado and winters in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. He was a member of the First Baptist Church in Whitesboro and enjoyed ushering and welcoming people to the Sunday morning services.
He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Freddie; son, Donald Cravens of Gordonville; daughter, Brenda Lampe and husband, Dominic, of Sherman; five grandchildren: Jason Lampe, Lori Lampe, Eric Lampe, and Kendra Masson and her husband, Joey. He is also survived by a brother, Milburn Cravens of Gainesville; two sisters, Millie and husband, Byron, of Mesa, Arizona; and Wilma Ferguson of Greenville, South Carolina.
Willie was preceded in death by his parents; and his brother, Earl Cravens of Kamay, Texas.
Pallbearers will be Jason Lampe, Dominic Lampe, Allen Cravens, Danny Cravens, Joey Masson, Bill Parish, and Eric Lampe in absentia serving in Afghanistan.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to be made to Heart to Heart Hospice of Sherman, TX or the Building Fund, First Baptist Church, 124 Center St., Whitesboro, TX 76273.
The family would like to thank the staff of Homestead and Heart to Heart Hospice for the love and care they have shown each member of our family over the past several months.