Milburn Ray Cravens

Milburn Ray Cravens, age 90, of Gainesville, Texas, went home to be with his Lord and Savior on December 29th of 2025. He was a loving and devoted husband and father.

Milburn was born in the Hayes community on May 28th, 1935 to Claude and Linnie Cravens. He attended school at Hayes, and then Muenster until the drought forced his family to leave the farm and move to Sadler, where he finished high school at Whitesboro.

After graduation, Milburn moved to Gainesville and began working for the Santa Fe Railroad as a clerk. It was while he was living in Gainesville that he met the love of his life, Janis Appleton. They got married and were together 53 years before Janis passed away.

Milburn worked for the Santa Fe Railroad, National Supply, and the City of Gainesville, where he finally retired as Parks and Rec director. He was a member of the First Baptist Church of Collinsville, where he continued serving the Lord until he could no longer. Milburn was a member of the Gainesville Kiwanis Club, where he served in all positions. He also served on the Board for the Stanford House, where he loved to go and play dominoes in his spare time.

Milburn’s other hobbies were ranching and spending time with his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Milburn is survived by his sister Mildred and his children: daughter Gayla and her husband Steve; son Allen and his wife Terri; and son Brad and his wife Lori. He is also survived by his grandchildren, Cody, Kristin, Zac, Stephanie, Shanda, and David, and great-grandchildren, Jackson, Jensen, Cameron, Conner, Caroline, McKenzie, Carter, Cory, and Camryn.

He was preceded in death by his wife Janis Cravens, parents Claude and Linnie Cravens, his brothers Earl and Willie, and his sister Wilma.

Visitation will be on Saturday, January 3rd, at 9:00 am at First Baptist Church, Collinsville, followed by a Funeral Service at 10 am. Burial will follow at Fairview Cemetery in Gainesville. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to the Stanford House Community Center or the First Baptist Church of Collinsville.