Friday, June 30, 2023 – The First Lady of Magnolia, Texas and of All of Our Hearts
My dear friend, Celeste Graves, passed away at the young age of 103 this week, a few months shy of her 104th birthday. Here are two of my favorite Celeste stories.
There is no doubt in my mind that Celeste and Dub Graves were the second couple my parents met after moving to Texas in 1945. The first couple, of course, being Sarah and Cecil Groves. Celeste was the office manager for Grogan-Cochran lumber company where my father served as bookkeeper. I feel confident in stating that managing my father and my Godfather, Cecil Groves, were relatively easy. Managing L.A, Buckalew and Mr. Henry Grogan and those characters were probably a different story. But you did not cross Celeste! Ha! Oh my goodness, the tales she told and the tales she took with her.
Before I was born my parents vacationed some with Celeste and Dub. One of my all time favorite stories is the trip back from Mexico. My father, driving and Dub in the front seat and my Mother and Celeste in the back seat. As they stopped at the border crossing back into Texas, the border security guard asked, “What’s in the trunk?” Those of you who knew my Father knew he had the driest sense of humor. He could look straight at you and never crack a smile. My Father looked at the guard and said, “An elephant!”
The guard screams “EVERYBODY GET OUT OF THE CAR! OPEN THE TRUNK!” The guard and the four of them stand by the trunk. My Father slowly raises the trunk and there sits and a three foot tall elephant. I would so loved to have seen this situation. I am sure that elephant sits somewhere among the 1000 plus elephants she collected.
Fast forward. Celeste was the only person I allowed to call me Rosie. Of course my name is Rose, but for some reason, I just did not care for Rosie.
Celeste left the sawmill and became Secretary to the Superintendents of Magnolia ISD sometime in the 1950’s. Go back in time and it is the summer of 1966. I walk up the five little style steps on my side of the fence and down the five little style steps onto the school yard. I walk past Room 10, the tax office, and into Magnolia High School, down the dark, cool hall passing the science lab on my left and the home making department on my right. I went down the hall took a right turn, waved to Celeste as I walked by her office and three more steps to the left, I knocked on Mr. Lyon’s office.
He said, “Come in?” I said, “May I pick up my schedule for next year?” He looked the four piles of class schedules, picked up the Senior Class pile and handed me mine.” When I saw mine, I became frightened.” I said, “Mr. Lyon? I do not want to take shorthand. I want to take physics and they are at the same time.’ He replied, “Delia. Girls don’t take physics. Why do you want to take physics?”
I said, “I want to go to college and I think physics will be more helpful than shorthand.” After crying on the way back over the steps and home and getting my mother involved there was a compromise. Mr. L. said, “You can take physics if you get one other girl to take it with you.” Sidebar: Thank you Molly Harper for taking it with me. You turned out to be a regular Leonard Hofstatler.
But that wasn’t the end of that story. As I was leaving his office, he said, “But you have to go tell Celeste. And do it now!” I should have know then who actually was in charge of everything.
Wow! I just thought I was scared in Mr. Lyon’s office. It went downhill after she said, “Hello, Rosie. Come in.” Trust me she was not happy about it. And was not happy about it for a long period of time. But as my father always says, “It all works out.” I never took a shorthand class, but I took two college physics classes.
So many stories. So many memories.
And so we must say good-by to a legend. But as my favorite philosopher, Jimmy Buffet sings, “…but a legend never dies.”
Celeste? You made all of us who loved you for these 103 years better people. And you made the world a better place because you were a part of it. There will never be another Celeste. Love, Rosie.
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