Mildred Marie (Rinky) Brumley Graham, 92, of Grand Prairie, Texas, passed from this life Monday, March 30, 2020. She was a longtime resident of Grand Prairie, Texas and a charter member of Indian Hills Baptist Church.
Marie was born March 16, 1928 in Grapeland, Houston County, Texas to James M. Brumley and Mary Loucille Teems Brumley, the second of three children. Marie attended school in the Livelyville school district during her elementary school years. She attended high school in Grapeland and Dallas, Texas. On January 15, 1943 Marie married her sister, Olive Lucille's brother-in-law, George Porter (Jerry) Graham. As the story was often told, the Graham family lived in Latexo, a small community a few miles from Grapeland. The Grahams had four handsome sons while two Teems families each had a set of beautiful sisters. The four brothers married the four Teems/Brumley girls creating four families of double, first and second cousins! Marie was married to Porter until his death on January 12, 2012. Marie's best friend growing up was another cousin, Edith Maureen Teems. They remained close until Maureen's death in 1997.
Marie worked as a Beautician for over 50 years. A year after the birth of their second child, Jerry Wayne, Porter enclosed the carport attached to their home to create a single-station beauty shop which Marie named Indian Hills Beauty Shop. To attract customers to the new business, they had the shop's name on a metal sign placed in the yard of their corner lot with a second sign advertising “$1 Shampoo/Set”. Marie soon had all the business she could handle, gradually increasing her prices by twenty-five cent increments! When she and Porter moved to the Cedar Creek area, Marie bought a building which Porter remodeled into the Gun Barrel City Beauty Salon where Marie rented stations to local beauticians. She ran this business for several years even during their many moves.
Marie is preceded in death by her husband of 68 years, Porter Graham, as well as her parents and her brother and sister.
Marie is survived by her daughter, Barbara Graham Pippin (Gary) of Grand Prairie Texas, her son, Jerry Graham of Douglasville, Georgia, six grandchildren, sixteen grandchildren, two great-grandchildren as well as numerous nieces and nephews.
A private internment will be at DFW National Cemetery along side her husband. A memorial will be held Monday, April 6.
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