Graves, Margaret Marie (Willson) 1929 - 2015

GRAVES, WILLSON, MALLI, OWENS, CARMACK, STEINE, WEBB, JUVE, ASCHIM

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 6/19/2015 at 08:04:29

Margaret M. “Peggy” Graves, age 86, of Decorah, IA, died Friday evening, June 12, 2015 at Aase Haugen Senior Services in Decorah.

Memorial Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 22, 2015 at St. Benedict Catholic Church in Decorah with Rev. Phillip Gibbs officiating. Inurnment will be in St. Benedict Catholic Cemetery in Decorah.

Visitation will be from 3:00-6:00 p.m. Sunday June 21 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah and on Monday beginning at 9:30 a.m., one hour before the service, at the church.

Margaret Marie (Willson) Graves was born February 10, 1929 in Decorah, Iowa, the daughter of Frank and Grace (Malli) Willson. She was a member of St. Cecelia’s Circle and St. Benedict Catholic Church. She attended Decorah Public Schools through the 8th grade.

She was united in marriage with Leonard W. Graves on October 10, 1944 at St. Benedict Church in Decorah. Together they raised eight children on the farm ten miles northeast of Decorah.

Peggy was a typical farm wife, definitely a multi-tasker. She made huge meals to feed the family, cared for her chickens, helped with milking the cows, and stacking bales of hay in the barn. Needless to say she was a hard worker and passed that work ethic onto her children.

Over the years Peggy had various jobs outside the home as the children grew up. She worked as a bartender for her friends, Don and Mabel Olson, at the Star Tavern. She assisted in the bakery at the old K & S Grocery Store. Then she took a job in the laundry department at the Winneshiek County Memorial Hospital, and eventually became head of that department. She enjoyed this job the most because she had great people to work with, especially Myrtle Ellingson.

In later years Peggy enjoyed reading the paper daily and the Reader’s Digest. She could always tell you what the weather was going to be for the day or the week to come. She also enjoyed playing cards, especially euchre and rummy, with her children and grandchildren.

Peggy became ill with cancer and was finally admitted to Aase Haugen Nursing Home on May 21, 2015. Family members stayed with her there until her death on Friday evening, June 12, 2015, at the age of 86.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 52 years, Leonard, on February 9, 1997; her son, Darrell on February 25, 1981; her sister, Loretta Owens; her brother, Charles Willson and her sister-in-law, Darlene Willson.

Peggy is survived by seven children: Leonard (Jane) Graves Jr. of Decorah, Marcia Carmack of Rochester, MN, Frank (Patti) Graves of Decorah, Sylvia (Clair) Steine of Decorah, Gary (Diane) Graves of Belvidere, IL, Jane (Mark) Webb of Decorah and Mary (Rob) Juve of Minnetrista, MN; 15 grandchildren; 27 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandson; one sister, Ann Aschim of Decorah; and one brother, Jim (Marilyn) Willson of Marion, IA.

Memorials may be given to Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, Kansas 66675, WMC Hospice, 901 Montgomery Street, Decorah, IA 52101, Aase Haugen Senior Services, 4 Ohio Street, Decorah, Iowa 52101, or the Rochester Police K-9 unit, 101 4th Street SE, Rochester, MN 55904.

Source: Fjelstul Funeral Home database

St. Benedict Cemetery
 

Winneshiek Obituaries maintained by Bruce Kuennen.
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