Trailblazing Texas Congresswoman Kay Granger honored with memorial service

Kay Granger, the trailblazing North Texas Republican who became the first woman to serve as Fort Worth's mayor, is being laid to rest Saturday during a service held in Fort Worth.

Loved ones gathered to honor Granger's life at First United Methodist Church, located on West Fifth Street. CBS News Texas is sharing a live feed of the service, which is set to begin at 11 a.m.

Granger passed away on August 2, 2026. She was 83 years old.

The longtime congresswoman wasn't only the first female mayor of Fort Worth; she was the first Republican woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first female Republican appropriations chair. 

After serving in the U.S. House since Jan. 3, 1997, the North Texas Republican stepped aside, addressing health challenges and extended absences from Washington before completing her final term and retiring in January 2025. A spokeswoman for Granger and Granger's son said she was living in an independent living facility. Granger's son told the Dallas Morning News she was "having some dementia issues late in the year."  

In 2025, Granger was named Fort Worth Inc.'s 2025 Person of the Year for her decades of public service and lasting impact on the city.