Grace Ann Watson Hockett

A Memorial Service for Grace Ann Watson Hockett is set for 12:00 PM, Saturday, February 28, 2026, at Hesper Friends Church, 2355 N 1100 Rd, Eudora, KS, 66025.

Grace Ann Watson Hockett, 89, of Overland Park, Kansas passed away Monday morning, January 26, 2026. Born at home to Virgia and John Watson on April 27, 1936, near Manchester, OK, Grace was the youngest of four children. Around 1940 her family moved to a homestead, near Fairfield, MT. Grace often shared fond memories of growing up in Montana like picking strawberries and rescuing a sheep that had fallen on its back.

She attended high school at the Friends Academy, in Haviland, KS, where she met her husband, Travis Hockett. They married Easter Sunday, April 1, 1956, at Willow Creek Friends Church, in Kansas City, MO where they made their home. They moved to Lenexa, KS in 1962 and raised two daughters there, Nedra and Karla. In 1985 they moved to Overland Park, KS to be closer to the church where they attended for many years.

She worked as a secretary in the banking industry where her great attention to detail was well suited. She loved her job and work friends. She retired at the age of 80 from Valley View State Bank.

Grace loved her daughters and was fiercely protective of them. Karla had a bit of trouble with a teacher, who harassed her about leaving school early for her work study job. This ended when Grace made a trip to the school to speak with the principal. Karla is not sure what was said, but the teacher never bothered her again. This was one of many trips to school she made in our defense. There was the school nurse convinced that Karla had a circulatory problem because her hands were blue. It was from then on known as “blue jeans disease” because she rubbed her hands on her new blue jeans. Another teacher made it difficult for Nedra to pick up and walk her little sister home, and was duly reprimanded by Mom. She also went to battle with an insurance company that wanted to make sure that Nedra was “bleeding enough” to warrant going to the hospital for stitches after accidentally putting a knife through her hand.

Her girls have fond memories of her identifying and stopping to pick wild flowers. She was thought to be the bravest Mom in the world when taking a hoe to the occasional snake that dared wander into our yard from the creek.

As many mothers, she wanted things for her girls that she wasn’t afforded growing up. She wanted us to learn music, and there were many tears shed as she commanded the fly swatter during the piano practice. She stressed doing our best at school and helped us with many projects. By working full time and being frugal, she made sure her girls went to, and graduated college.

Grace loved Jesus and she taught her girls to love Him too. She made sure her daughters were able to attend church almost every Sunday, even if Travis had to work. Through the years she helped with Sunday School, Bible School, projects around the church and was known for the many pies she made for potluck dinners.

Genealogy was her favorite hobby. She enjoyed doing online research and digging through old courthouse records. Her young daughters thought she was crazy when she would drive to the middle of nowhere to walk through old weed infested cemeteries just to get a picture of relative’s headstone. She also enjoyed traveling with Travis, camping, and helping as part of a hot air balloon crew.

Along with “Wife” and “Mother”, “Grandma” was one of her favorite roles. Emily remembers tea parties with grandma using an antique children’s tea set and pink sugar. Nick had so much fun camping, he declared to Grace repeatedly on the way home once that he “Wanted to stay camping!” They visited as much as they could with their grandchildren. Often, they would meet halfway, in Emporia, KS, to pick up or drop off the grandkids.

She was preceded in death by her parents, John Watson and Virgia Folger Watson, sisters, Laura Lane Watson Moore, Bertha Watson Puckett, and her brother Charley Watson

Grace is survived by her daughters Nedra Hockett Salisbury (Kent) of Overland Park, KS, Karla Hockett Grisham (Eric) of Newton, KS, grandson Nicholas Grisham(Christina) of Belaire, KS and granddaughter Emily Masek (Alex) of Broken Arrow, OK along with several nieces and nephews.