Billie (Jerrie) Juanita Simmons
February 25, 1933 - December 3, 2021
Billie Juanita Graves was born in Honey Grove, Texas on the 25th of February in 1933. Billie graduated to Heaven on Friday, December 3, 2021. Despite great tragedy at the age of ten, when her Father, John Graves murdered her mother, Juanita Graves, and then took his own life, Jere bravely overcame this drastic change in her young life. Through the Grace of our Lord she grew into a loving, stable, wife, mother, friend, and gifted teacher.
She went to live at Buckner Children's Home in 1943 and became a part of the new family of friends and teachers at Buckner. God repeatedly brought good people into her life at just the perfect time. She fell in love with her teachers and loved to read after lights out hidden in the shower with a candle or sitting on a large limb of a tree just outside her window that had a light attached to the outside of the girls building. Jere knew at a young age she wanted to become a teacher. She graduated from Buckner High School in 1950 and graduated from Howard Payne in 1954. On that same day she married the love of her life, "her Bill", William K. Simmons and their complete devotion to one another lasted for 67 years. She achieved her Master's Degree from Northwestern University and Southern Methodist University.
Teaching was her passion. She taught English and Creative Writing for 40 years at Duncanville High School. Jere also contributed her guidance by leading the debate team, Scribunt, the school magazine for creative writers, and the Student Council. She had a divine gift for teaching students how to compose and write to prepare them for life after graduation. A love for every student was what made her so unique in the magical world of her classroom where she touched so many lives.
Two of her greatest achievements were that she was awarded by the Texas Council of Teachers of English Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator for the 1996-1997 school year. She retired after teaching at Duncanville High School for 40 years. She missed the classroom terribly but soon found a new mission of collecting and editing the stories of many people that grew up at the Buckner Home and Orphanage. Jere dedicated four years of her life to this monumental task. Buckner Memoirs: The Orphan Chronicles for the Buckner Alumni Association was finally completed and published. During this time, she led book reviews and enjoyed public speaking. She was amazingly gifted.
Jere always referred to her daughters, Valli and Vanessa as her two greatest masterpieces. A terrifically fun grandmother full of laughter, stories, and poetry, she was always full of performances with funny voices for dramatic effect. She loved her grandchildren dearly! Chanel, Chris, and Dylan Copeland and Payton and Colton McClain were the light of her life. Her greatgrandchildren, Raven Valentine Copeland and Samuel Copeland were precious in her eyes.
Bill and Jere loved one another every day and were best friends. Quoting love poems to each other as true romantics. They were able to travel with the Foreign Travel Group from Duncanville High School together and visited Greece. One of her favorite foreign travel trips was shared with her dear friend and mentor, Grace Brandenburg, they visited England together and were delighted to see the birthplace of their beloved Shakespeare. Bill and Jere loved ballroom dancing and enjoyed many fun times with dear friends dancing the night away!
You taught us all what love looks like and spread joy with your laughter and twinkling eyes. We are sure that you are enjoying a wonderful celebration with our Lord and Savior, old friends, family, and former students. Dance and rejoice forevermore! We love you and will never live a day that you are not missed.
February 25, 1933 - December 3, 2021
Billie Juanita Graves was born in Honey Grove, Texas on the 25th of February in 1933. Billie graduated to Heaven on Friday, December 3, 2021. Despite great tragedy at the age of ten, when her Father, John Graves murdered her mother, Juanita Graves, and then took his own life, Jere bravely overcame this drastic change in her young life. Through the Grace of our Lord she grew into a loving, stable, wife, mother, friend, and gifted teacher.
She went to live at Buckner Children's Home in 1943 and became a part of the new family of friends and teachers at Buckner. God repeatedly brought good people into her life at just the perfect time. She fell in love with her teachers and loved to read after lights out hidden in the shower with a candle or sitting on a large limb of a tree just outside her window that had a light attached to the outside of the girls building. Jere knew at a young age she wanted to become a teacher. She graduated from Buckner High School in 1950 and graduated from Howard Payne in 1954. On that same day she married the love of her life, "her Bill", William K. Simmons and their complete devotion to one another lasted for 67 years. She achieved her Master's Degree from Northwestern University and Southern Methodist University.
Teaching was her passion. She taught English and Creative Writing for 40 years at Duncanville High School. Jere also contributed her guidance by leading the debate team, Scribunt, the school magazine for creative writers, and the Student Council. She had a divine gift for teaching students how to compose and write to prepare them for life after graduation. A love for every student was what made her so unique in the magical world of her classroom where she touched so many lives.
Two of her greatest achievements were that she was awarded by the Texas Council of Teachers of English Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator for the 1996-1997 school year. She retired after teaching at Duncanville High School for 40 years. She missed the classroom terribly but soon found a new mission of collecting and editing the stories of many people that grew up at the Buckner Home and Orphanage. Jere dedicated four years of her life to this monumental task. Buckner Memoirs: The Orphan Chronicles for the Buckner Alumni Association was finally completed and published. During this time, she led book reviews and enjoyed public speaking. She was amazingly gifted.
Jere always referred to her daughters, Valli and Vanessa as her two greatest masterpieces. A terrifically fun grandmother full of laughter, stories, and poetry, she was always full of performances with funny voices for dramatic effect. She loved her grandchildren dearly! Chanel, Chris, and Dylan Copeland and Payton and Colton McClain were the light of her life. Her greatgrandchildren, Raven Valentine Copeland and Samuel Copeland were precious in her eyes.
Bill and Jere loved one another every day and were best friends. Quoting love poems to each other as true romantics. They were able to travel with the Foreign Travel Group from Duncanville High School together and visited Greece. One of her favorite foreign travel trips was shared with her dear friend and mentor, Grace Brandenburg, they visited England together and were delighted to see the birthplace of their beloved Shakespeare. Bill and Jere loved ballroom dancing and enjoyed many fun times with dear friends dancing the night away!
You taught us all what love looks like and spread joy with your laughter and twinkling eyes. We are sure that you are enjoying a wonderful celebration with our Lord and Savior, old friends, family, and former students. Dance and rejoice forevermore! We love you and will never live a day that you are not missed.
Billie (Jerrie) Juanita Simmons
February 25, 1933 - December 3, 2021
Billie Juanita Graves was born in Honey Grove, Texas on the 25th of February in 1933. Billie graduated to Heaven on Friday, December 3, 2021. Despite great tragedy at the age of ten, when her Father, John Graves murdered her mother, Juanita Graves, and then took his own life, Jere bravely overcame this drastic change in her young life. Through the Grace of our Lord she grew into a loving, stable, wife, mother, friend, and gifted teacher.
She went to live at Buckner Children's Home in 1943 and became a part of the new family of friends and teachers at Buckner. God repeatedly brought good people into her life at just the perfect time. She fell in love with her teachers and loved to read after lights out hidden in the shower with a candle or sitting on a large limb of a tree just outside her window that had a light attached to the outside of the girls building. Jere knew at a young age she wanted to become a teacher. She graduated from Buckner High School in 1950 and graduated from Howard Payne in 1954. On that same day she married the love of her life, "her Bill", William K. Simmons and their complete devotion to one another lasted for 67 years. She achieved her Master's Degree from Northwestern University and Southern Methodist University.
Teaching was her passion. She taught English and Creative Writing for 40 years at Duncanville High School. Jere also contributed her guidance by leading the debate team, Scribunt, the school magazine for creative writers, and the Student Council. She had a divine gift for teaching students how to compose and write to prepare them for life after graduation. A love for every student was what made her so unique in the magical world of her classroom where she touched so many lives.
Two of her greatest achievements were that she was awarded by the Texas Council of Teachers of English Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator for the 1996-1997 school year. She retired after teaching at Duncanville High School for 40 years. She missed the classroom terribly but soon found a new mission of collecting and editing the stories of many people that grew up at the Buckner Home and Orphanage. Jere dedicated four years of her life to this monumental task. Buckner Memoirs: The Orphan Chronicles for the Buckner Alumni Association was finally completed and published. During this time, she led book reviews and enjoyed public speaking. She was amazingly gifted.
Jere always referred to her daughters, Valli and Vanessa as her two greatest masterpieces. A terrifically fun grandmother full of laughter, stories, and poetry, she was always full of performances with funny voices for dramatic effect. She loved her grandchildren dearly! Chanel, Chris, and Dylan Copeland and Payton and Colton McClain were the light of her life. Her greatgrandchildren, Raven Valentine Copeland and Samuel Copeland were precious in her eyes.
Bill and Jere loved one another every day and were best friends. Quoting love poems to each other as true romantics. They were able to travel with the Foreign Travel Group from Duncanville High School together and visited Greece. One of her favorite foreign travel trips was shared with her dear friend and mentor, Grace Brandenburg, they visited England together and were delighted to see the birthplace of their beloved Shakespeare. Bill and Jere loved ballroom dancing and enjoyed many fun times with dear friends dancing the night away!
You taught us all what love looks like and spread joy with your laughter and twinkling eyes. We are sure that you are enjoying a wonderful celebration with our Lord and Savior, old friends, family, and former students. Dance and rejoice forevermore! We love you and will never live a day that you are not missed.
February 25, 1933 - December 3, 2021
Billie Juanita Graves was born in Honey Grove, Texas on the 25th of February in 1933. Billie graduated to Heaven on Friday, December 3, 2021. Despite great tragedy at the age of ten, when her Father, John Graves murdered her mother, Juanita Graves, and then took his own life, Jere bravely overcame this drastic change in her young life. Through the Grace of our Lord she grew into a loving, stable, wife, mother, friend, and gifted teacher.
She went to live at Buckner Children's Home in 1943 and became a part of the new family of friends and teachers at Buckner. God repeatedly brought good people into her life at just the perfect time. She fell in love with her teachers and loved to read after lights out hidden in the shower with a candle or sitting on a large limb of a tree just outside her window that had a light attached to the outside of the girls building. Jere knew at a young age she wanted to become a teacher. She graduated from Buckner High School in 1950 and graduated from Howard Payne in 1954. On that same day she married the love of her life, "her Bill", William K. Simmons and their complete devotion to one another lasted for 67 years. She achieved her Master's Degree from Northwestern University and Southern Methodist University.
Teaching was her passion. She taught English and Creative Writing for 40 years at Duncanville High School. Jere also contributed her guidance by leading the debate team, Scribunt, the school magazine for creative writers, and the Student Council. She had a divine gift for teaching students how to compose and write to prepare them for life after graduation. A love for every student was what made her so unique in the magical world of her classroom where she touched so many lives.
Two of her greatest achievements were that she was awarded by the Texas Council of Teachers of English Outstanding High School Language Arts Educator for the 1996-1997 school year. She retired after teaching at Duncanville High School for 40 years. She missed the classroom terribly but soon found a new mission of collecting and editing the stories of many people that grew up at the Buckner Home and Orphanage. Jere dedicated four years of her life to this monumental task. Buckner Memoirs: The Orphan Chronicles for the Buckner Alumni Association was finally completed and published. During this time, she led book reviews and enjoyed public speaking. She was amazingly gifted.
Jere always referred to her daughters, Valli and Vanessa as her two greatest masterpieces. A terrifically fun grandmother full of laughter, stories, and poetry, she was always full of performances with funny voices for dramatic effect. She loved her grandchildren dearly! Chanel, Chris, and Dylan Copeland and Payton and Colton McClain were the light of her life. Her greatgrandchildren, Raven Valentine Copeland and Samuel Copeland were precious in her eyes.
Bill and Jere loved one another every day and were best friends. Quoting love poems to each other as true romantics. They were able to travel with the Foreign Travel Group from Duncanville High School together and visited Greece. One of her favorite foreign travel trips was shared with her dear friend and mentor, Grace Brandenburg, they visited England together and were delighted to see the birthplace of their beloved Shakespeare. Bill and Jere loved ballroom dancing and enjoyed many fun times with dear friends dancing the night away!
You taught us all what love looks like and spread joy with your laughter and twinkling eyes. We are sure that you are enjoying a wonderful celebration with our Lord and Savior, old friends, family, and former students. Dance and rejoice forevermore! We love you and will never live a day that you are not missed.
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