Kathryn Martin Draper Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

Funeral Services for Kathryn Martin Draper, 88, of Alto, will be 1:00 p.m. Friday, December 23, 2016 at Rusk First Baptist Church under the direction of Wallace-Thompson Funeral Home, Rusk, Texas with Brother Jacob Fitzgerald officiating. Burial will follow at Old Palestine Cemetery, Alto, Texas. Mrs. Draper passed from this life on Tuesday, December 20, 2016, surrounded by her family on the eve of her 89th birthday. Kathryn’s gentle heart and busy hands served her well as caretaker of her family and gifted artist, seamstress and gardener. Kathryn and her husband Bill raised their family as active members of First Baptist Church in Rusk and both retired from the Rusk State Hospital. She was born in Central High Community of Alto, Texas on December 21, 1927 to the late Ollie and Amye Martin. She graduated from Alto High School and went on to attend Draughn Business College in Dallas and worked as executive secretary to president of Dallas Transit Company for several years prior to moving back to East Texas with her husband Bill to raise her family. She worked for Texas Rehabilitation Commission for over 20 years and was able to retire 30 years ago to pursue her favorite things in life. Of these were always first and foremost her family. She was famous for cooking her delicious fried chicken with fresh vegetables that she and Bill raised in their garden. They also loved to travel and Kathryn took beautiful photos in all the lower 48 states, 5 Canadian provinces and several trips to Mexico. Later she would make beautiful oil paintings of many of her favorite places. A good day for her up until major health problems slowed her down was when she could spend 8 hours or more outside planting hundreds of varieties of flowers and trees and developing a beautiful retirement homeplace on land she inherited from her great-great grandparents. Left to celebrate her life with wonderful memories is her husband of 66 years Bill Draper, Alto, TX, daughters and sons-in-law, Patricia and Tommy Harrison, Bedford TX, Debra and Kerry Suttles, Jacksonville, TX, daughter, Barbara Draper, Alto, daughter-in-law, Meredith Draper and her husband Jim Tarrant, Bullard, TX, grandsons, Collin and Sabrina Harrison, Highland Village, TX, Luke and Angie Harrison, Hurst, TX, Shaun and Ashley Suttles, Central Heights, TX, granddaughters, Leslie Harrison and Justin Pollard, Lewisville, TX, Meagan Suttles and Chris Cummings, Henderson, TX, Kathryn (Katy) Draper and Michael Burbank, San Antonio, TX, Amy Draper and Zach Olsen, Israel, thirteen wonderful great-grandchildren, and great friend and sister Bobbie Campbell, Rusk. Visitation will be 4:00 – 6:00 p.m., Thursday, December 22, 2016 at the funeral home. Pallbearers are Collin Harrison, Luke Harrison, Shaun Suttles, Michael Burbank, Chris Cummings, and David Fulton. Honorary Pallbearers are Tom Harrison and Kerry Suttles.

Kathryn Martin Draper

December 21, 1927 - December 20, 2016