John Allen Graves

PLEASE NOTE:  DAY OF THE FUNERAL HAS BEEN CHANGED TO SATURDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2018!!!! 10:00 AM Funeral.

John A. Graves, age  70, rural Raymond, died in a Watertown hospital late on Saturday night, December 22, 2018 after suffering an apparent heart attack.

Visitation will be held on FRIDAY, December 28, 2018 from 5-7 PM at the Furness Funeral Home at Clark and will continue 1 hour preceding services Friday morning at the Church in Clark.

Funeral services will be held on Satur day, December 29, 2018 at 10:00 AM in the Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ in Clark with Pastor Fawn Lamb officiating.  Music will be provided by Betsy Kolden on the organ, Kathy Weber on the piano and a solo by Rick Aslesen. Those that should consider themselves as honorary casketbearers are Dean Woods, Jack Kays, Larry, Terry, Randy & Marlin Mudgett, Mike Cooper, Leonard McClung, Dave Brewer, Dave Heinrichs, Jim Olverson, Jim Orris, and Randy and Ryan Helkenn. The active casketbearers will be Todd, Brad, and David Kays, Troy, Trevor, and Dan Mudgett, Mark and Rick Aslesen, and Doug Woods. Burial will follow services in the Rose Hill Cemetery at Clark.

He was born John Allen Graves on April 23, 1948 at Watertown, the son of Ivan and Kathleen (Riley) Graves. He attended school in the Logan School through the eighth grade and then Clark High School graduating in 1966. While in high school John was active in the FFA and music groups. He also participated in debate. Following high school he attended Dakota Wesleyan University at Mitchell studying history and music.

On October 3, 1970 he married Sharyl Mudgett at the United Methodist Church at Clark. They lived and farmed in Logan Township since that time. John also worked at Wegman Oil in Raymond as well as working for area farmers, especially during planting and harvest.

John was a member of the Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ where he currently served as moderator.

In his free moments he enjoyed collecting Pontiac cars and toy tractors, focusing on John Deere, watching the history channel and being a member of the Experimental Aviation Association. He was a part of the Clark County Farm Bureau organization. Over the years John sang for numerous funerals in the area. He loved air shows of all kinds, traveling to Las Vegas, NV, Duluth, MN, the Wright-Patterson AFB near Dayton, OH, and Osh Kosh, WI for major shows. Another hobby of his was welding, lawn ornaments and even making a tractor out of parts from his Dad's junk! John loved to visit and stay up on folks around the area.

Preceding him in death were his parents.

Survivors include his wife Sharyl Graves of Raymond and children, Travis (Mary Jo) Graves of Brandon and Nicole Graves and husband Nathan Beiningen of Sioux Falls. Also surviving are several in-laws.

The Furness Funeral Home at Clark is serving the family where there is an on-line registry at www.furnessfuneralhome.com