FORQUERAN, Flora

The White Mountain Independent, Show Low, Arizona ~ 08/06/2013 Flora Whipple Forqueran, 92, died Wednesday, July 10, 2013, at her daughter’s home, surrounded by her family. She was born Sept. 3, 1920, in Show Low, the third of seven girls born to Willard Whipple and Josephine Merrill Whipple. Her birth was attended by her grandmother, Emma Oliver Whipple, who was Show Low’s midwife in the early 1900s. Flora’s father worked as a stockman for the Indian Service, so the sisters grew up in various locations on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation. Her most treasured moments were of living in Cibecue. She entertained her grandchildren with many stories of life as a young girl in what was still the western frontier. When the girls needed to go to high school, the family moved to Tempe and lived at Fort McDowell. In 1939, Flora moved to San Diego, where she met and married Robert Graham. He was training as a pilot in the Army Air Corps. With her two young sons, Flora moved from base-to-base in New Mexico and Texas until Lt. Graham was sent overseas. Sadly, he died in the Philippines Oct. 20, 1945. Her youngest son died in a drowning accident the following April at Fort McDowell. Flora returned to San Diego in 1946. She married Stanley Forqueran in 1947. They had two daughters and were married for 59 years. In 1948, Flora and Stan began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. She was so happy to learn of the hope of the resurrection; Jesus’ promise that our dead loved ones will live again in a paradise earth, that she devoted her life to teaching others the Bible’s truths. She was a faithful Witness of Jehovah for over 60 years. Flora and her family returned to Show Low to visit her relatives many times over the years. Her children and grandchildren all loved staying in the attic at Grandma Whipple’s house and making the trek to Cibecue to see where she had so many adventures. She also loved San Diego and its beautiful beaches, and especially snorkeling with her grandchildren at Children’s Pool in La Jolla. She liked to say that no one had as much fun in her life as she had. Flora is survived by her family in Show Low: Robert (son) and Chris Graham, James and Kerri Graham, Camille Graham and Bill Robinson (brother-in-law). Her family in California: June Morgan (sister), Susan Reynolds (daughter), Carlos Franco, Eva Gomez, Jessica Graham-Tena, Jared Forqueran, Alejandro Birmingham, Xochitl Gomez, Linda Horvath (daughter), Jennifer, Georgia Rose and Elliot McCrone.