Our mom passed away in her sleep on Wednesday, June 6, 2018. She was born to Maria Cruz Rodriguez-Martinez in Torreon, Coah., Mexico to Antonio Rodriguez and Concepcion Martinez in 1927 but she was known as Maria, Mary, Crucita, Maestra and by her family, Tita, short for abuelita (grandmother). She was 91. She was the middle child of three girls. Both of her sisters, Beatrice Rodriguez de Gonzalez and Minerva Rodriguez de Jaurrieta preceded her in death. She attended primaria and secundaria in Torreon where they also taught cake decorating which later became her life’s passion. Unheard of during that time, she and four girlfriends left Torreon right after secundaria to Cd. Juarez, where she found a job at a pharmacy. Cd. Juarez is also where she met our father, Harry Carlton Grafton a WWII Veteran and a Louisiana native. Not only did he fall in love with Mom but with the Mexican people, it’s food and the West Texas desert. They were married in Las Cruces, New Mexico the day after Christmas, 1951. Their wedding dinner was a hamburger, fries and a coke. That was their anniversary dinner of the next 60 years. Dad passed away in 2011 at age 92. They had four children, Sukie Grafton married to Gary Simmons from El Paso, Mary Daisy Grafton married to Aaron Andrews from Atlanta, Georgia, Mary Lee Grafton-Bode (deceased in 2013) from Kansas and Ronald David Grafton of El Paso. She has 7 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. Mom was a gifted cake decorator. She attended decorating schools in Monroe, Louisiana, Chicago, Illinois; Mexico City, Mexico and San Antonio, Texas. She was a member of the International Cake Decorator Society. She taught cake decorating at J.C. Penny’s for many years as well as Michael’s. She was known as “la reina de la duya” by her students (queen of the decorating tip). Mom will have a Graveside Service, June 12th at 2:30 pm where she will be laid to rest with her beloved Harry at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery.
