Willie Ovid Gragson

1938 - 2017

Willie Ovid Gragson died Monday, November 13, 2017 in Wellington at the age of 79.

Memorial services will be at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, November 18, 2017 at the First Baptist Church with his grandson, Jeff Eigenmann officiating. Arrangements are by Adams Funeral Home.

Honorary pallbearers are Employees of TX-DOT and the City of Wellington, members of Wellington Masonic Lodge, Walter Arnold, Bill Long, Jon Sessions, Reed Sessions, Raymond Fike, Dickie Johnson, and Tony Cox.

Willie was born February 25, 1938 in Pampa, to Arvan Earnest and Cora Willie Elmore Gragson. The family lived on the Willis Clark ranch at Miami. In 1942 they moved to Las Vegas, NV and stayed until 1946 after the end of WW II. The family moved to Quitaque to the Walter Graham ranch. Willie and his brother Robert grew up on the ranch. Willie loved breaking and training horses and worked on all the area ranches along the Caprock Canyons.

Willie graduated from Quitaque High School in 1956. On June 16, 1956 he married his one and only love, Laurine Whittington in Clovis. They were married 54 years until her passing in 2010.

He went to work for Texas Highway Department, later known as TX-DOT in 1958 as a draftsman in the Quitaque office. In 1964 he was transferred to Wellington to help draw plans for IH-40 across Wheeler County. His last years with TX-DOT, he was the District R.O.W. Administrator for Childress District 25. He retired after 36 plus years.

As a civic leader he has served as president of the Wellington Cemetery Association, the Wellington Sheltered Workshop and was a past Master of the Wellington Masonic Lodge #763. In 1978 he was elected to the Wellington City Council and was Mayor Pro-Tem for 36 years, until 2014 when he decided not to seek reelection.

Willie loved to hunt and fish. He was an avid golfer and won the Wellington Country Club Championship 5 times and made two hole-in-ones. He and Bill Long designed the Wellington Country Club golf course.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, a brother Robert Autrey Gragson, a son William Grant Gragson, his daughter Evelyn Gragson Raines and grandson Brandon Raines.

Survivors include daughters Laura Gragson Mays and husband Lynn of Clarendon and Sasha Nicole Gragson Maxwell and husband Jason of Amarillo; 2 grandchildren Jeff Eigenmann and Julia of Sacramento, NM and Erica Henderson and David of Leander.

The family suggests that memorials be made to the Wellington Cemetery Association, P.O. Box 321, Wellington, TX 79095. Willie surveyed and drew the original layout and platted the North Fairview Cemetery in 1969. He and Bill Long built the entrance sign to this cemetery in 1974.

Sign the online guest book at www.adamsfuneralsvc.com.