Ethelene Graves Stephens Purvis
By: Terry McDaniel
Updated: January 7, 2013
Ethelene Graves Stephens Purvis passed away Friday, January 4, 2013. She was 85.
Funeral services will be held at 2 P.M. Monday, January 7, 2013, at the Ward Wilson Funeral Home Chapel with Reverend Tim Willis officiating. Burial will follow at Bethlehem Baptist Church Cemetery with Ward Wilson Funeral Home directing.
The family will be receiving friends at the funeral home from 1 to 2 P.M. Monday, January 7, 2013, one hour prior to the service. Flowers will be accepted or contributions may be made to the Child Development Center at Ridgecrest Baptist Church.
Ethelene was born March 15, 1927 in Houston County to the late John Ewell Graves and Mary Ethelene Kennedy. She attended Dothan High School.
As a teenager she worked at Walgreen's Drug Store. She was retired from Ansell Corporation. Prior to that she worked at J.C. Penney, and at the age of 72 she went to work at Ridgecrest Child Development Center in a job that she truly loved and enjoyed. She was a member of Ridgecrest Baptist Church and the Encouragers Sunday School Class.
Prior to her illness she enjoyed quilting, cross stitch and doing word puzzles.
In 1970 when her first grandson was born, she found a new and wonderful meaning to life. She would say how she wished she could have been a Grandmother first because it was so much fun.
She was previously married to the late Hershel E. Stephens, the father of her children and the late Raymond Purvis.
Survivors include a daughter, Barbara J. Lee, (Wayne), a son, Wayne E. Stephens, two grandsons, Michael S. Lee (Denise), Christopher B. Lee (Lottie), two granddaughters, Brandi Spiers (Michael), Celeste Clapper (Chris), a special sister, Montez Graves and three great-grandchildren. Other survivors include two sisters, Elizabeth Leary, Jeanette McDonough, a brother, Joe Graves and numerous nieces and nephews.
