Seawillow Hellums Mcgrath

Seawillow Hellums McGrath October 9, 1912 – May 17, 2007 Seawillow Hellums McGrath, 94, of Waco passed away Thursday, May 17, 2007 at her home following a brief illness. Services will be at 1:30 p.m. Monday, May 21, 2007 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Chapel with Msgr. Mark Deering officiating. Burial will follow at Oakwood Cemetery. Seawillow was born October 9, 1912 in McMahan, Texas to Kinney and Bessie Hellums, and grew up in Smithville. She moved to Waco in 1928 and graduated from Four C Business College. She retired from William Cameron Company in 1969. She was a member of St. Louis Catholic Church in Waco. Seawillow was a life-long sports fan and avidly followed her Texas teams – the Cowboys and the Rangers. She considered all out of state teams to be foreigners. She was also proud of her Texas name, penned in 1855 by her great-grandfather. At the time that her great-grandmother was about to give birth near Beaumont, their home was struck by a flood. Her great-grandfather moved the family and farm hands to a raft. As they were drifting out to sea, the farm hands tied the raft to a willow tree. Seawillow’s great-grandmother gave birth on the raft to a baby girl, who was christened “Seawillow.” Seawillow McGrath was the third generation of currently six generations of girls named Seawillow. Seawillow was preceded in death by her parents and her beloved brothers James “Bubba” Hellums of Bellmead and Kinney Hellums of McAllen. She is survived by daughters, Joann Mormino and husband, Judge Ray Mormino of Waco; Tommy Rogers and husband, John of Waco; and Seawillow Farrar and husband, Danny of Waco. She is also survived by twelve grandchildren and eleven great-grandchildren. Seawillow’s grandsons and great-grandsons will serve as pallbearers. Memorial donations may be made to St. Louis Catholic Elementary School. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Memorial Guestbook” at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com.