LaRue "Bunk" Chaney Greenwood

LaRue “Bunk” Chaney Greenwood, 94, of Woodville, peacefully fell asleep in death on Monday, December 12, 2022.  LaRue was born December 10, 1928 in Burkeville, Texas to Mamie Lee Burnham and Joseph Leander Chaney, the second of six children having a brother and four sisters including twin girls.

LaRue was preceded in death by her husband, parents, brother, three sisters, three sisters-in-law, four brothers-in-law, three nephews and son, Tommy.

She is survived by her daughter, Lois, one sister, Helen, one brother-in-law, Larry, seven grandchildren, Keven, Kenneth, Tamara, Khristi, John, Adam, Jeremiah and numerous great grandchildren, great, great grandchildren, other family members and many friends.

Life with Bunk was very much like life on the “I Love Lucy” show, as you who knew her are very well aware.  She could regularly be found “standing over here by the tomatoes.”  Not so quietly waiting for the next development.  She was originally named Lee Ruth after her mother, Mamie Lee (Although she wasn’t to find this out until she was 46.) Soon it was “Ru” and somehow that eventually became LaRue.  Finding this out after 25 years of marriage, she had to amend her birth certificate so it would match her marriage license.  Bunk wasn’t about to change her marriage license.

Then, there’s that nickname. In fact, many people never knew her given name was Lee Ruth.  And that it would eventually become LaRue.  They only knew her by “Bunk”.  Her father dubbed her with this moniker when she was just barely toddling around and “Bunk” stuck with her all her days.  “Bunk-Aye” first.  And by the time she stared school, it was “Bunk”.  All her relatives, friends, neighbors, schoolmates and workmates knew her by Bunk.  To the kids, she was “Miss Bunk”.

She knew friend, Joe, didn’t realize “Bunk” and LaRue was the same person for the first few weeks.  After all, they had just met.  About that meeting, it wasn’t’ the norm either.  It was a blind date on her birthday in 1948.  Joe Gibson Greenwood, Jr. was just out of the Army’s Airborne Division.  He jumped out of an airplane, dived through the sky and flew right into her world.  That is what paratroopers do. Evidently.  After a whirlwind romance, they eloped in 1949 to a well arranged event with their closest friends.  They lived in Beaumont for eight years before moving in 1957 to Bevil Acres which later became Bevil Oaks.  After 36 years there in “lion country” they moved in 1993 to Woodville and spent nearly nineteen years on what Bunk affectionately named “The Goat Farm”.  All this to be close to Joe’s hometown of Rockland City.

In the very early beginning there was a large stone sitting merrily in the sunny woods of the old homestead, a very special stone, and his alone.  Joe visited this stone many time throughout the years, sitting upon it, enjoying his time there.  One day he took his new bride to see his special stone.  But something was missing this time.  What to do?  After a brief reflection, Joe realized this stone needed updating.  Right away he knew he always knew the right thing to do.  He carved both their initials and a heart on it.  Just for them.  Now it was their stone, theirs alone.  There it is standing strong and proud, a silent witness for all the Greenwoods to come to.  You see, Bunk always knew who belonged to her.

They lived and loved together for almost 63 years until his death in 2011.  Many times she had said, “This grand lifetime with ‘My Joe’ was not nearly long enough.”  Bunk stayed in Woodville to be close to Joe.  He is nearby with her happiest memories e specially from those truly Golden Years.  Her “Woodville Chronicles” come to a peaceful close as she does the only thing she ever wanted.  Today, Bunk is traveling one last time up the road to be with “her Joe”.  He’s at Rockland City waiting there for her.

A graveside service will be held Thursday, December 15, 2022, at 2 pm at the Rockland City Cemetery.  Visitation will be held Thursday from 1 pm until 2 pm at the Riley Funeral Home in Woodville, Texas. 

In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the organization of your choice for the care and aid of abused women and children.

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