- Date Of Birth: April 10, 1931
- Date Of Death: November 29, 2016
- State: Texas
As the popular saying goes, “A house is made of bricks and beams; a home is made of love and dreams.” It takes a special heart to make a lifeless structure into a thriving home. Anything from a studio apartment to a mansion can feel cold and empty without the right spirit or touch to give it life. One special woman made not only her houses feel like warm homes, but the feeling of home seemed to follow her wherever she went. Mrs. Josephine Burris Graham, or “Jo” to her loved ones, created, inspired, and embodied home for so many people. Her life blessed and impacted her loved ones and all those who were fortunate to meet her.
On Friday, April 10, 1931 in Beaumont, Texas, the home of Harry and Josephine Burkhart grew brighter as they welcomed their new daughter into the world. Her twinkling brown eyes and joyful laugh warmed the household as she played with her two other sisters. Soon thereafter, the Burkhart family moved to Ballinger in West Texas. Josephine grew up making happy memories and moments in the small town. Throughout her childhood and adolescence, Josephine’s mother kept her three daughters in line. She grew up in a conservative Baptist home which of course meant no drinking or dancing for the Burkhart daughters. Although rules could be a little strict, Josephine grew up in a loving home and became very close with her sisters, Cynthia and Harriet. The love Josephine experienced in her childhood home became the building blocks for the day she would start her own home and family.
Oliver Wendell Holmes once stated that, “Where we love is home-home where our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” Josephine eventually graduated from Ballinger High School, and then moved to Denton, Texas to study at Texas State College for Women. Although she left her hometown of Ballinger, she didn’t realize that she was on her way to creating a new home full of loving hearts. It was in Denton, Texas that miracles happened and stars aligned. During her first week of college, Josephine sat with a friend in a pew in the back of a church. Little did she know that just a few seats in front of her sat a North Texas State University student, C.R. Graham, who was her soulmate and future husband. C.R. describes that he saw a beautiful woman with big brown eyes and soft brown hair and just knew she was the one. With a little convincing and sweet-talking, C.R. won a date with Ms. Josephine. The couple dated on and off for 3 years. On her 20th birthday in 1951, C.R. got down on his knee and proposed to Josephine Burkhart. “I have nothing to give you but me,” C.R. proclaimed as Josephine lovingly accepted his proposal but no date was set. When C.R. graduated from N.T.S.U, he moved down to Cleburne, Texas to work for the daily newspaper, but his distance did not stop the two from seeing each other. C.R. worked quickly to afford a car to drive up to Denton weekly to see his love. After a while of doing this, Josephine looked at him one day and said, “We need to get married and stop all of this.” Needless to say, C.R. joyfully agreed. Eight months and thirteen days after his proposal, on Sunday, December 23, 1951, family and friends gathered at the Little Chapel in the Woods on the T.S.C.W. campus. Inside the chapel, red poinsettias lined the aisle and decorated the altar. C.R. and the congregation stood in awe as Josephine walked in, full of splendor, holding a bouquet of white poinsettias. Josephine gracefully joined her fiancé at the front of the beautiful, historic chapel and with love, joy, and hopefulness, became man and wife.
C.R. and Josephine Graham were indeed a love match made in heaven. They spent the first few months of marriage happily as Josephine finished her last semester at T.S.C.W. and graduated with a Bachelor of Business degree in Home Economics. They soon after moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico where Josephine began a passion for teaching. Two or three years later, C.R. and Josephine moved back to Texas where in 1954, Josephine began teaching Pre-Kindergarten. Eventually C.R. and Josephine moved again, but this time to Maryland. In 1969, Josephine took up the position of Director at a Lutheran Pre-Kindergarten School in Aspen Hill, Maryland. They spent a while in Maryland and called it home for a time, but they ultimately moved back to Texas-this time for good. Josephine took her love of homemaking and applied it to her new job as a home economics teacher at a junior high school in McKinney, Texas. She taught students the fundamentals of creating and sustaining a home. Combining her two passions in life, teaching and home economics, gave Josephine joy and happiness. Through the school, she became involved with Future Homemakers of America, which she would continue to stay active with for years. Over all, she taught home economics for over ten years. When she was in her fifties, Josephine left teaching and became an independent interior decorator for the McKinney and Plano area of North Texas. Over the next fifteen years, Josephine collected a pool of loyal and loving clients who were thrilled with her work. She became well respected within the North Texas interior design industry with her professional attitude and business-like mindset. Creating beautiful and inviting living spaces for her clients made Josephine’s job blissful and meaningful. However, after working hard for about 50 years, Josephine decided to retire in 2000 to enjoy her family and the world.
Although working was a passion for Josephine, she enjoyed many of life’s wonderful treasures. C.R.
Friday, December 2nd, 2016, 3:00pm, Church of the Holy Communion
Frankfort Cemetery
