Frances Colley

Frances Colley, 81, of Waco, passed away Sunday, October 23, 2016 in Athens, TX surrounded by her family. A graveside service will be held 1PM Friday, October 28th at Oakwood Cemetery. Visitation with the family will be 6-8PM, Thursday, October 27th at Pecan Grove Funeral Home, 3124 Robinson Dr., Waco, Texas.
L. Frances Colley (Davis) was born August 12, 1935 in Tyler, TX to Gladys and Elbert P. Davis. She was the youngest sibling to two brothers, Pete and "Ike" Davis. Frances met the love of her life, W.A. Colley, while they were attending John Tyler High School. It was Frances' desire to become a wife and mother very young in life. W.A. and Frances were wed on December 22, 1951. By the following autumn they were blessed with their first son. Three more sons would bless this union. She spent many years being a housewife while raising the 4 boys. Over the years, Frances enjoyed sewing as she was an excellent seamstress and made many of her own clothes, the boy's clothes and then that of her granddaughters. She was very creative and talented, even took up sketching and painting. Frances loved to cook and entertain for her family, whether it was a gathering for Sunday Dallas Cowboy football games or any of the holidays; her family was special to her. She enjoyed gardening, fishing and traveling with her husband. She and W.A. had a great life together and traveled to many destinations.
Frances will be remembered most for being a strong and loving caretaker of the men that she loved. For a decade, she provided care for one of her sons’ who was in a terrible car accident. After her son was put into a nursing home, she began to work outside the home for the first time. She began working at Piggly Wiggly in the Meat Market and later she had a part- time job at Hancock Fabrics. Frances stopped working when it was discovered her husband had ALS. Again she became a caretaker for her husband for 6 years until he passed in December 1998; being married just shy of 47 yrs. She especially loved being a grandma and a great-grandma, passing down many family recipes along with several of her handmade quilts, afghans and doilies.
Frances was preceded in death by her parents, her two brothers and her beloved husband, W.A. Colley.
Left to cherish her memory are her sons, Michael D. Colley, Sr. and his wife, Cindy, of Waco, TX, Gary Colley of Burleson, TX, Chris Colley of Monticello, FL., and Steve Colley and his wife, Janet, of Murchison, TX. Her grandchildren include Angela Colley Beauchamp and her husband, Lonnie, of Waco, TX, Michael D Colley, Jr. and his wife Brandy of Lorena, TX, Erica Colley Mitchell and husband, James, of Burleson, TX, Bo Colley and his wife, Catie, of Burleson, TX, Rachel Walker and her husband, Gary, of Burleson, TX, Lindsay Nugent and her husband, Chris, of Burleson, TX and Kayleigh Crutchfield of Palestine, TX. She was blessed with 15 great-grandchildren. Frances also had many nieces, nephews and cousins.
The family wishes to thank the staff of South Place Nursing Home in Athens, TX, as well as Heart-to-Heart Hospice Nurses, Brae and Nikki, and In-home Nurse Melony Michaels, for the loving care they provided our Mama Colley.