Nell Griffin-Graham

Nell or “Mrs. Griffin”, as her former students fondly remember her by, moved to her forever home in Heaven on October 22, 2023. She was born in Del Rio, Texas on September 24, 1933 and, at the age of three, moved to Reagan Wells, Texas with her mother and father, Arvie Jones Heard and John Henry Heard. She had one older sister, Frances Elizabeth and one younger sister, Sydney Dayle.

Nell was raised in Reagan Wells and attended the one room Heard School, near her home, through eighth grade. When she was twelve, her parents bought Reagan Wells General Store where she enjoyed working and interacting with the local patrons. In order to attend Uvalde High School, Nell rode the bus thirty miles each way to and from school. While attending high school, she was active in band and worked at Uvalde Leader News as part of the distributive education program.

After graduating from UHS in 1951, she enrolled in Southwest Texas Junior College where she was a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honorary Fraternity. She lived on campus during this time, was manager of the bookstore, worked as Dean Wayne Mathews secretary and as a secretary to County Judge Jack Woodley as well. She graduated from SWTJC in 1953.

In the fall of 1953, Nell enrolled at Texas A&I in Kingsville, Texas to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education. Until her last semester, when she participated in practice teaching, she worked at the university library. Upon graduating from A&I in 1955, her first three years were spent teaching second grade at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio.

In a garden ceremony at the Christie Place in Concan, Texas, on July 27, 1958, Nell wed Bobby Jack Griffin, a Sabinal native and her SWTJC sweetheart. The couple then moved to Mission, Texas where Bobby Jack taught science and Nell taught fourth grade. Their first daughter, Glynis Jeanne, was born there on December 26, 1959. After two years in Mission, Bobby Jack accepted a job at Alamo Heights High School in San Antonio teaching history and coaching football and basketball. Their second daughter, Pamela Anne, was born in San Antonio on February 9, 1961. Nell and Bobby Jack remained in San Antonio for five years where Nell taught second grade in the Northeast ISD for one semester.

In 1966, Bobby Jack and Nell moved with their family to Sabinal, Texas where he began a farming operation. When Pam went to kindergarten, “Mrs. Griffin” resumed her calling as a teacher, in the half-day kindergarten program. The next year, she moved up to first grade with Pam’s class. She taught the rest of her career, 28 years at Sabinal ISD in various positions, mostly fifth and sixth grades.

On June 19, 1991, Bobby Jack succumbed to non-Hodgkins lymphoma after a one-year illness. “Mrs. Griffin” continued teaching and managing their goat herd until December of 1995.

On April 6, 1996, Nell married widower Robert A Graham, a UHS classmate, in a mountain garden ceremony in Oahua, Hawaii. Robert and Nell traveled to St. Perersburg, Russia on their honeymoon. They lived alternately in his home in Tome, New Mexico and her home, built for her by Bobby Jack, near Sabinal until they sold her home in 1998. They then moved into a home at 608 Cenizo Boulevard in Uvalde while still traveling back and forth to New Mexico for several years. Together, they lived in the Uvalde home until Robert passed in May of 2023. Nell remained in this same home until her death almost five months after Robert left this earth.

Nell was preceded in death by her parents and both sisters and their spouses. She is survived by daughters Glynis Griffin Crow and husband Phillip of Reagan Wells, Pamela Griffin and husband Ty Beard of Leakey, TX; step granddaughter Paige Crow Tracy of Lake Jackson, TX; grandsons Griffin Crow and wife Shelby of San Marcos, TX, and Ross Crow of Reagan Wells; sister-in-law Anna Pearl Wootton of Lubbock, TX. Additionally, Nell is survived by step daughter Stephanie Farrow and husband John of Albuquerque, NM, step sons Mark Graham and wife Cindy of Meridian, ID, and Stuart Graham of Wasilla, AK. Also surviving are step grandchildren Annemieka Farrow, Julie Hunt and husband Chad, David Adams and wife Amanda, Stuart Graham and wife Laura, Sean Graham and wife Beth, Matthew Graham, Ashley Haken and husband Kyle, Christopher Graham and wife Linda. Surviving step great grandchildren are Macy Koppe, Jaxon Tracy, Morgan, Mallorie and Spencer Hunt, Kade and Jace Adams, Colin and Tessa Graham and Cooper Haken.

Nell is remembered as a devoted daughter, wife, mother, favorite teacher and a valued member of the community. She was a long-time member of First Baptist Church in Sabinal; however, she recently moved her membership back to Reagan Wells Baptist Church where she was first baptized many years ago.

In lieu of flowers, please make donations to Reagan Wells Baptist Church or Reagan Wells Cemetery Association or the Uvalde Hospice Organization.