Graves, Kenneth William 1911 - 2002

GRAVES, JOBES, STEINMETZ, SCHAFFER

Posted By: Cindy Maust Smith (email)
Date: 11/5/2020 at 10:57:30

Sioux City Journal, July 31, 2002, Sioux City Iowa

Kenneth W. Graves, 91, of Melvin died Monday, July 29, 2002, at Osceola Community Hospital in Sibley, Iowa.

Memorial service will be 2 p.m. today at American Lutheran Church in Melvin, with the Rev. Jane Johnston officiating. Private family graveside services will be in Baker Township Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Sanborn Funeral Home in Sanborn, Iowa.

Kenneth William Graves was born May 11, 1911, in Melvin, the son of William P. and Nellie (Jobes) Graves. He attended school in the Melvin area and graduated from Melvin High School. He later attended the University of Iowa.

He was united in marriage to Martha Steinmetz at First Lutheran Church in Sioux Falls, S.D. He then joined the family highway and bridge construction firm, working on projects in Iowa and South Dakota. From 1942 to 1943, he went to Alaska to construct bridges and roads on the Alcan Highway, which was the outstanding adventure in his life. After returning from Alaska, he continued the family business that also included a retail lumber yard and ready mix concrete operations.

His passions were the construction industry, the adventure, the challenges and most of all the people. At the time of his death, he was chairman of the board of Graves Construction Co. Inc. Kenneth or "K.W." will long be remembered for his tremendous knowledge, incredible memory and his caring and sharing generosity to his immediate family, construction family and others around him, all in his own "private way."

He was a member of Melvin American Lutheran Church and served as the building committee chairman at the time of the church expansion, as well as serving on other committees and boards. He was president of the Association of General Contractors of Iowa in 1953 and was active on various committees through the years.

Survivors include his wife of 70 years, Martha of Sanborn; a son and his wife, Thomas and Dani Graves of Sioux Falls; a daughter-in-law, Gretchen Graves of Sioux Falls; three grandsons, Thomas Graves II of Eden Prairie, Minn., Daniel Graves and his wife, Treva of Sioux Falls, and Matthew Graves of Spirit Lake, Iowa; and several nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, William and Nellie (Jobes) Graves; a sister, Beulah Schaffer; an infant daughter, Nellie Anne Graves; and a son, Terrance William Graves.

Pallbearers will be employees of Graves Construction Co.