Ray Brunelle

Ray was the second of four children born to Thomas Glynn Eubanks and Ada Belle Adams. She married Alexander Joseph (Abe) Brunelle in 1944. They have two sons, Joseph Glynn (Joe) and James John (Jim) Brunelle.

Ray worked as a homemaker and in the medical field as a nurse until she retired. She grew up and worked on a 245 acre farm near the community of Shiloh, Texas with her parents, sisters Emmalene and Margaret and her younger brother Tommy. She attended elementary school in Shiloh and graduated from high school in Mexia. Her early life was a time before electricity, running water, telephones, and flushing toilets. These all came later and were never taken for granted. Known to the children and grandchildren as Henny, Granny “B” or simply “B” she will be dearly missed. Famous for her pimento cheese (“B’s Cheese”) and wonderful Thanksgiving dressing, there was always something good to eat at Granny B’s. She touched so many lives and was beloved by all.

She and her husband Abe were part of “The Greatest Generation” and lived through the Great Depression and World War II. Abe was a U. S. Army war veteran who was stationed at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked by the Japanese. The couple met and courted in Ft. Worth, Texas where Ray worked for Consolidated Aircraft while Abe was stationed in Longview, Texas. They had a formal military wedding in Longview where they resided until 1957 and where their two sons were born. Afterward they had homes in Mississippi and Virginia eventually settling in Midland, Texas in 1961.

Mrs. Brunelle is survived by her son Joe and his wife Theresa (Tree) of Nashville, Tennessee; her son Jim, her caregiver since 2010, of Grapevine; grandchildren Jason Brunelle and his partner Daniel Williams of Houston, and Sarah Brunelle Hastings and her husband Alex of Washington, D.C.; foster son Ula Joe Williams and wife Betty of Allen, Texas as well as his daughters Jennifer and Joey and their husbands and children. Additional survivors include her sister Margaret of Copperas Cove, Texas and nephew W. O. (Bill) Taylor Jr. of Mesquite, Texas and nieces Susan Chandler of San Antonio, Sandra Sarchet of Converse, Texas and Glenda Kowalski of New Castle, Delaware and their families. She will also be remembered by many good friends and neighbors.

A Memorial Celebration will be held at Glade Corners Retirement Community, 400 E. Glade Rd, Grapevine, Texas 76051 on Friday, February 27 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM and a graveside service at Resthaven Memorial Park, 4616 N. Big Springs St. in Midland,Texas 79705 on Saturday, February 28 at 11:00 AM where she will be laid to rest beside her husband Abe.

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in memory of Ray Brunelle to the Wounded Warrior Project, www.woundedwarriorproject.org or to the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, www.aspca.org. This obituary may be viewed and online condolences sent to www.ellisfunerals.com.