Frances Davis Peavy

Frances Peavy died June 26, 2018, a few months shy of her hundredth birthday. She was born in San Augustine on September 7, 1918 to Dr. Drew and Effie Greer Davis. She was born during the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 which took her father’s life. She survived her first and only bout of the flu as a newborn. She was the baby of the family, and her older brothers and sisters marveled at how cute and smart she was until the day they died. It was always easy to tell how long people knew Frances. She called herself “Dobbly” as a small child, was “Fannie C” though college, Fannie as a teacher, and Frances for her last thirty years. She was Fan to her daughters, Grandmother to her granddaughters, and Fan to her great grandchildren. She graduated from SFA where she met her roommate’s brother, Charley Peavy, and they were engaged for the entirety of World War II. She married Charles William Peavy, called Charley Billy, and known as Jack in 1945 and moved to Hudson. She taught at Hudson for over thirty years and loved the school and the students. Her former students all show up to vote because she told them that she would haunt them if they ever forgot that civic responsibility. She was proud of Hudson and continually bragged about its sterling academic record. She loved her students. Taking a walk in town with her was like making a procession with the Queen because former students always came over to see her and tell her what she meant to them. Charley Billy died in 1960, and Frances picked herself up, continued teaching, and raised her daughters to be confident and independent. Both daughters traveled extensively, and she used to say that she might have overdone it a bit when she encouraged them to explore the world. She was a lifelong Presbyterian and was the doyenne of First Presbyterian in Lufkin. She was also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution and the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. She is survived by her daughters, Charla McCracken and husband Vance of Wimberley, Texas, and Angier Peavy of Hudson, granddaughters, Shasha McCracken of Boerne, Texas, and Elizabeth Partenza and husband John of Houston, Texas. She had three great grandchildren: Leo, Otis, and Georgia Partenza. She is survived by her nieces and nephews: Dr. Drew Williams, Kathryn Wiley, Emmie Leach, Gladys Legg, Pat Moore, Billy, Mike, Joe and Clifford Penn, Lee, Gip, and Phillip Friesen, Asa, Woody, and Clifford Peavy and their families. There will be private burial services on June 30, 2018 followed by a memorial service at 11:00 a.m. at First Presbyterian Church, 607 Jane Way, Lufkin with Dr. Brian Wiggins and Reverend Monsignor Phillip M. Leach officiating. Donations may be made to the First Presbyterian Church or Hudson School. The family will receive friends from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Friday evening at Gipson Funeral Home. Condolences may be offered at www.gipsonfuneralhome.com Services have been placed in the trust of Gipson Funeral Home.