Jean Marie Gratton

Jean Marie McKinney Gratton passed away on March 26, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. Jean Marie McKinney was born in 1930 in Lake Geneva Township, Wisconsin, the first child of Dwight McKinney and Edna Landau McKinney. She grew up in towns and farms in South Central Wisconsin before moving to Iowa in her teens. Jean attended Delavan High school (Wisconsin) and Washington High School (Iowa). After HS, she continued at the local junior college and then Iowa Wesleyan College. Tired of cold northern winters, she moved to sunny New Mexico, and attended/graduated from UNM with a BA in Elementary Education. Jean worked her way through high school and college, starting as a telephone switchboard operator in high school. While in college she moved into her chosen field, working as an elementary school teacher in Iowa, and then in New Mexico. In New Mexico she met Pat Gratton in Geology 1 class, where a rivalry for the highest grade advanced to romance. They married in 1955 and scored four children, Sara, Vivian, Patrick Sean and Lizabeth. As Jean and Pat raised their family, work took them from Albuquerque to Denver, Roswell, Houston, Santa Fe, Del Rio, Tyler, and finally Dallas. When not busy raising the children, and running the household, Jean helped Pat run his office after he became an oil operator and independent geologist. She served in the Cadence Dance Club, the Greenway Park Women’s Club (GPWC), and the Zeta Tau Alpha Alumni organizations, including terms as president of the GPWC and the Cadence Club. Jean is survived by her husband, three of her children, two grandchildren, her brother, an aunt and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. The family will receive friends on Friday, April 7, 2017 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home. Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, April 8, 2017 at 11:00 AM at Sparkman/Hillcrest Funeral Home. Interment will follow in their family plot in Hillcrest Memorial Park. Contributions may be made in Jean’s name to the Liz Gratton Endowment, Camp Grady Spruce YMCA, 9409 Garland Road, Suite 200, Dallas, TX 75218 Attn: Lori Villarreal.