Marva McCraw

Marva Nell Cornelius McCraw went to be with her Lord and Savior Saturday, January 5, 2019 at the age of 87. She was born in Hereford, Texas on August 20, 1931 to John Luther Cornelius and Hattie Consada Mays Cornelius. Marva was a Native American child who started life as the youngest of eight siblings whom have all gone before her, to welcome her home now. Marva was preceded in death by her parents, John and Hattie Cornelius; her husband, Joe T. McCraw; her daughter, JoVonne McCraw Evans; her sisters, Estelle, Ethel, and Wilma; and her brothers, Fay, Royce, Thunice “Boots” and Harvey Joe, and one of her grandchildren, David Wayne McCraw.

Her favorite nickname was “skeeter” because her brothers accused her of always swarming around them. She is the 9th generation removed from Chief Wahunsenacawh the paramount chief of Tsenacommacah, an alliance of Algonquian-speaking Virginia Indians in the Tidewater region of Virginia at the time English settlers landed at Jamestown in 1607, and also the father of Pocahontas. All whom she met did not know she was a true princess, but she always carried herself that way and had the utmost admiration and respect from her associates, friends, and family.

As a young child she was moved around the country by her parents due to the depression, migrant farm work, and the war. She completed the eighth grade before she was no longer able to attend schools. Then at the tender age of sixteen she was moved from the San Francisco ship yards to her brother’s house in Texas where she worked in the four corners cafe as a waitress until she meet and married Joe T. McCraw, on April 4th 1949 at the age of 17.5 . They were married best friends for 58 years until he passed in March of 2006. They loved to dance and travel and she stayed active dancing even until this last year. Joe had made her promise to not stay home and not be alone and she kept that word.

In 2011 she was married in the eyes of God to Carl Lageman. They were together enjoying cruises and world travel until he passed suddenly in 2013.

In 2014 she was again blessed with companionship, and was married in the eyes of God to Eugene Sidney Woodruff, enjoying life together and helping each other until the end. Papa Gene has now moved away to be with his children in Houston.

Marva started in the work force in 1956 as a legal secretary for Frank McCown, she became a paralegal and office manager in 4 years. That was when the firm partners decided to open an Abstract and Title Company and put her in charge of it. Starting in 1960 she grew the firm from zero to having offices in three counties, handling millions of dollars per anum. She became one of the first female real-estate licensees in the state of Texas. She was described as pleasant, attractive, honorable, reliable, a most capable and efficient manager, always ready to serve. She was active in religious work teaching young adults in proper Biblical manners, and in community affairs, serving on the Dumas Board of Realtors as secretary for many years, and on various Chamber of Commerce committees and activities always being sure everything was perfectly planed.

In 1973, Joe was offered a promotion with Phillips Pet Co and she resigned her stations to move to the coast of Texas with him. Upon their arrival in Alvin Texas, she was immediately sought after by many firms, she took the opportunity to also gain a real estate brokers license and then was sought after by Alvin Community College to teach courses in real estate and real estate law. She became professor Marva.

Once again Joe was transferred to a new job area in Lulling, Texas. They settled in Lockhart, then moved to Seguin and then to New Braunfels after Joe retired. She stayed active working for various attorneys and title companies in central Texas and was an executive member of the Texas board of realtors, and a sought after speaker and pioneer of women taking executive roles in the workplace. She finally retired from the workplace in 2004 after putting in 44 years of effort for the betterment of others first.

Marva was also a cancer survivor, she went through some very radical procedures loosing half her tongue and all her teeth, but always kept her appearance up and her pain well hidden. She bet the oncologist she could beat that thing and she never gave up until she did. She was always dressed to the nines and accessorized with taste and that did not change with cancer.

Marva was a plank holding member of Word of Hope Christian Church. She will always be remembered for being a true peacemaker and someone who was always cherished by everyone, faithful to the very end.

She is survived by her immediate family, Sons: John and his wife Sandy McCaw and James and his wife Elizabeth McCaw,

She has 5 of 7 Grand Children remaining; Greg, Brian, Aaron, Sean, and David. She has 8 great grandkids and one great great grand child on the way .

A Celebration of Her Life will be held Sunday, February 17, 2019 at 2:00 pm at Zoeller Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Gideons International, to continue spreading the word. https://www.gideons.org/