Elizabeth "Lisa" McGraw 1921-2012

MCGRAW WILLER SCHLUDT

Posted By: Connie Swearingen-Volunteer (email)
Date: 5/27/2012 at 18:39:33

Sioux City Journal
January 23, 2012

ANTHON, Iowa -- Lisa McGraw, 90, of Anthon died Friday, Jan. 20, 2012, at the Correctionville Nursing and Rehab Center in Correctionville, Iowa.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Trinity Lutheran Church in Anthon, with the Rev. Timothy Chase officiating. Following lunch, burial will be in Oak Hill Cemetery at Anthon. Visitation will be after 4 p.m. Tuesday, with a prayer service at 7 p.m., at Armstrong Funeral Home in Anthon. Online condolences may be made at www.armstrongfuneralhome.com.

Elizabeth "Lisa" McGraw was born Oct. 24, 1921, at Westermarkelfdorf, Germany, the only daughter of Jochum and Gertrude (Willer) Schludt. She had one older brother, Joe. When Lisa was age two and just a day before the family was to embark on a ship to the United States, Lisa's mother died of appendicitis. A few months later, Lisa, her dad and brother did enter the U.S.A. through Ellis Island and settled in the Climbing Hill, Iowa, area with Lisa's maternal grandparents. She grew up there and attended Windy Hill Country School through the eighth grade. She was a baptized and confirmed member of St. John's Lutheran Church at Climbing Hill.

On Dec. 28, 1947, Lisa was united in marriage to Kenneth McGraw at St. John's Lutheran Church. They first made their home in Anthon, then Sioux City and onto Climbing Hill, where they raised their children. Later, Lisa worked as a nurse's aide at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Sioux City, and was a cook at the Climbing Hill School for 20 years.

She also worked at Bishops in Sioux City, a job she really loved. The couple again lived in Sioux City for a time and moved back to Anthon in 1984, upon their retirement. Lisa worked cleaning homes there. Due to declining health, Lisa moved to the Correctionville Nursing and Rehab Center in 2005 and remained there until the time of her death.

After moving to Anthon, the couple became members of Trinity Lutheran Church. She was also a member of the Happy Homemakers of Climbing Hill, which she really enjoyed.

Survivors include Kenneth, her husband of 64 years; one son, Roger McGraw and his wife, Marsha, of Sioux City; two daughters, Marcia McGraw of Sioux City, and Kathy Gallagher and her husband, Brian of Westwood, N.J.; and Kenneth and Lisa's beloved dog, Sadie, who has been living with Kathy and Brian in New Jersey the last few months.

Lisa was preceded in death by her parents; an infant daughter, Nancy Jo; her brother, Joe Schludt; and a nephew, Steven Schludt