Fred D. Graves, 86, of Staunton, died Sunday, Sept. 15, 2019, at St. Louis University Hospital in St. Louis, MO.
Visitation will be held Saturday, Sept. 21, from 9 to 11 a.m. at Williamson Funeral Home in Staunton. Funeral Services will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home with the Rev. Nancy Hubert officiating. Interment will be held in Memorial Park Cemetery in Staunton.
Mr. Graves was born June 27, 1933, in Syracuse, KS, the son of the late Carl and Henrietta (DeWeese) Graves. He married Shirley C. Vesper on Oct. 4, 1957, in Denver, CO, and she preceded him in death on Oct. 28, 2018.
Employed as a homebuilder with Graves Brothers Construction in Staunton for many years, he served in the U.S. Air Force during the Korean War. He was a member and past president of Staunton VFW Post #1241.
He was able to travel around the world and was very proud to have ridden a camel around the pyramids in Egypt. He was born and raised a farmer, and later in life he still enjoyed taking care of his cows. He enjoyed Sunday dinners with family.
He is survived by two daughters, Carla Coury of New Orleans, LA, and Diane (Craig) Wilson of Litchfield; two sons, Dale (Debbie) Graves of Litchfield and Darren Graves (fiance Lisa Costin) of Staunton; 11 grandchildren, Bethany (Eric) Paulson of New Orleans, LA, Ben (Megan) Culp of Baton Rouge, LA, Nathan (Pamela) Culp of Wilmington, NC, Gregory Culp of Augusta, GA, Danny Kovaly (and Ann) of Alhambra, Elizabeth Willis and Miranda (Shaun) Martin, both of St. Louis, MO, Dalton Graves and Grace Graves, both of Staunton, and Jackson Wilson and Cooper Wilson, both of Litchfield; seven great-grandchildren, Beau Willis, Emmet Paulson, Julia Culp, Wesley Culp, Owen Culp, Clayton Culp and Natalie Martin; two sisters, Martha Beauchamp of Colorado and Shirley Stinchcomb of Wyoming; two brothers, Larry Graves of Staunton and Merle Graves of South Dakota; and numerous nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents and wife, he was preceded in death by a son-in-law.
Memorials may be made to the Gary Sinise Foundation.
Online condolences may be left at www.williamsonfh.com.
