February 11, 1935 – October 10, 2020
BOWIE – Frances Loraine Reaves, 85, passed peacefully from this life into the arms of her loving Heavenly Father on Oct. 10, 2020 at her home in Bowie, TX.
A funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. on Oct. 14 at the First Baptist Church of Bowie with Pastor Mike Henson officiating. The burial will be at Elmwood Cemetery in Bowie. Her grandsons and grandson-in-law will be serving as pallbearers with honorary pallbearers. They are Bert Harvill, Stephen Deweber, Robert Dyer, Jerry Clement, Darrell Bell, Lynn Gray and Mike Holbrook. The visitation was from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 13 at the funeral home.
Frances was born Feb. 11, 1935 in Wichita Falls to John Wesley Senn, Sr. and Alpha Mae (Kerns) Senn. They moved to Bowie and the Lone Star community while she was in the first grade. Frances graduated fourth in her class at Bowie High School in 1952 and soon after graduation married Cecil Leon “Greek” Chokas of the Salona Community. Their marriage resulted in the births of their three children. During the 1950s and 1960s, she spent her time as a homemaker and used her sewing talents as a seamstress for the public. In 1971 she took a position as a nurse’s aide at the old Bellmire Convalescent Home and loved her job there.
In 1973 Frances married Foy B. Cantrell, Sr. and devoted her time to volunteering with many service organizations including the Bowie Lions Club, Bowie Lioness Club, Bowie Chamber of Commerce, Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Chamber of Commerce, Jim Bowie Days Association, community bake sales, varied concession stands and church functions. She was honored as Bowie’s Woman of the Year in 1982 for her tireless efforts to make the Bowie Centennial Celebration a huge success as she served as the headquarters representative for the festival; she served to bring the city charter to Bowie as a member of the Bowie Charter Commission; and volunteered for almost 50 years in every area of the Montague County elections process. In the 80s and 90s, she loved her work at The Montague County Shopper and Texas Pride Insurance; both places brought her much joy and many friends (many of her closest friends knew her as Frankie).
In 2000 she married Herbert Reaves and the two continued their volunteer efforts and added new interests by participating in the Buffalo Springs and Vashti Music Jamborees. She was an accomplished cook and avid reader until both gifts began to diminish as Alzheimer’s claimed her. She loved to read and study her Bible, she had a deep desire to serve others and her family was of utmost importance to her.
She was saved in 1951, was baptized in 1985 at Bible Baptist Church of Bowie and was a current member of the First Baptist Church of Bowie.
She was preceded in death by her parents, brother, J.W. Senn, Jr., sisters, Evelyn Boucher and Mildred Meyers, their husbands Leon Chokas and Foy B. Cantrell, Sr. and granddaughter, Dyvnn Chokas.
Surviving family members left to cherish her memory are her husband, Herbert Reaves; daughters, Janet Griswold and husband, Gary, Christi St.John and husband, Randell; sons, Gerald Chokas and Don Reaves; sisters-in-law, Mae Large and Louise Reaves; brothers-in-law, Bill and George Reaves; grandsons, Wade and Andrea Brown, Jases and Stacey Brown, Tony and Saundra Griswold, Mark and Leigha St.John, Chad St.John and Brice Reaves; granddaughters, Krystal and Larry Marshall, Mallory Grahl and Monica Henry; great-grandchildren, Alex, Megan, Noah, Dixie, Willie Brown, Mason Marshall, Marleigh, Cora, unborn baby, St.John, Finn Santiago, Kaila Griswold, Kaleb Bunch, Abby and Colt Reaves; nephews, Jim Senn, Eddie Meyers and Carl Boucher and one niece, Shelley Mills.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in her name to the First Baptist Church of Bowie Building Fund, Solaris Hospice for their excellent care, or the Alzheimer’s Association for research.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.
Paid publication