Bobbye Nivens Calhoon died at home on Sunday morning, June 28, 2026, as she wanted, holding her daughter’s hand.
She was born at home in Hempstead County Arkansas on May 10, 1931, to Add & Minnie Nivens. She was the “middle” child of nine and the last one to complete the sibling circle in Heaven.
She graduated from Blevins High School and later attended Dallas College. She married the love of her life, Bruce Calhoon in 1954. After high school, she moved to Little Rock and began working at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company as a switchboard operator. From there she worked her way into management, retiring in 1983 with nearly 40 years’ service.
In 1959, while living in Wichita Kansas, their daughter Rhonda (Roni) joined the family. The next year, they relocated to Dallas, Texas but Arkansas was always their home. In the 80’s they began planning the “Workshop”, to be located on her portion of the Nivens family land. Bobbye always loved the southwest corner of the property and that is where they planned their retirement home. They built the workshop first. It included all they would need to live there while building the “big house”. Sadly, Bruce started showing signs of Alzheimer’s disease in the mid-nineties which meant fewer trips to the workshop. That little house became even more precious to them both. Bobbye continued to travel to the workshop several times a year, even after her Bruce died in 2003.
Bobbye was in very good health until June of 2025 when she was diagnosed with Celiac disease at the age of 94. Things changed to accommodate her new life, and she continued doing well until a fall in January of 2026 required in-home rehab. Again, she recovered and was able to move back into her home by early March. On Saturday, June 13th, she suffered a stroke and a bad fall. She was hospitalized for less than a week before deciding she was ready to go home. It was a blessing to her and her family that she was able to return to her home of 62 years, in Dallas to spend her final days.
Bobbye was known for her deep love of family, her generosity, and her tenacity. When she set her mind on something, she achieved it. She loved to dance, play dominoes, work puzzles with her grandchildren, Taylor and Kenneth, and mowing! She LOVED to get on her riding mower and spend hours making the land around her little house in Arkansas look beautiful. Most of all, she loved the Lord and read her Bible cover to cover many times, studying scripture with many in the family through the years. She was grateful to have lived to enjoy her great grandchildren, Liam and Copeland. She also looked forward to the arrival of her third great granddaughter Margot, due in July.
Bobbye will be missed by many friends and family. She is survived by her daughter, Rhonda Nivens Calhoon Kraft, husband, Kevin, her granddaughter Taylor Nicholls, husband Matthew, great grandson Liam, her grandson Kenneth, wife Emily and great granddaughter Copeland.
Visitation will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 6, 2026, at Brazzel-Oakcrest Funeral Home.
Funeral services will follow immediately after starting at 11:00 a.m. Burial will be at Nivens Cemetery under the direction of Brazzel-Oakcrest Funeral Home, The Funeral Home of Hope, Ben Brazzel, Director.