Roy Edward GRAHAM, born June 22, 1910 to Charles Edward and Louella Harriet (JARVIS) GRAHAM, and Gladys Fern BROWN, born March 29, 1909 to Levi Francis (Lee) and Edna Lottie (PERDUE) BROWN, all of Diagonal, were united in marriage February 27, 1929. They lived four miles north of Benton, where their six children were born: Betty Jean, Charles Lee (Bud), Donald Dean, Richard Ray (Dick), Shirley Ann, and Robert Eugene. They moved south of Benton in 1960. Roy GRAHAM died June 22, 1978.

Betty Jean died in 1933 at the age of almost three years.

Bud married JoAnn KNEEDLER, and they lived in Benton with their three children: Shelia, Ricky, and Shelly. Sheila now lives in Creston, Iowa with her children: Jeremy, Jaime, and Cody. Ricky is employed by Miracle Manufacturing in Mount Ayr. Shelly and her husband, Allen TILLEY, and their son, Kylee, live in Mount Ayr.

Bud is now married to Marilyn MONAGHAN, who is employed at the Hawkeye Bank in Mount Ayr. Bud works at Schlapia, Inc., in Diagonal. They make their home in Mount Ayr, Iowa.

Don married Belle BOWEN and they live on a farm north of Benton. Don and his brother, Dick, have a partnership in farming and the cattle business. Don and Belle have two children, Steve and Cindy. Steve and his wife, Jerri, live in Benton with their children, Jessica and Daniel. Steve is a self-employed farmer and Jerri is a nurse. Cindy and her husband, Robert SCHLAPIA, live in Diagonal with their children: Amanda, Amy, and Adam. Robert is co-owner of Schlapia, Inc., at Diagonal and City is the Diagonal school board secretary.

Dick is in the farming and cattle business and lives with his mother on a farm south of Benton.

Shirley married Joe KLEJCH, Jr. and they live on a farm south of Mount Ayr. They have two children, Gary and Lisa. Gary is married to Linda BARKER of Benton. Gary is in the farming business and Linda is a dietician. Lisa will graduate from the University of Northern Iowa.

Bob married Karyn EMIG of Lenox, Iowa, and they have two children, Robert LeRoy and Kelly LeAnn, who are attending school. Bob is a rural mail carrier out of Diagonal and Karyn is the postmaster of Benton, where they make their home.

GRAHAM, was raised on a farm north of Benton and attended Diagonal School. He married Jerri TAYLOR, daughter of John and Sandra (DALBEY) TAYLOR of Diagonal. Steve and Jerri bought the Bud CAMPBELL property in 1981. They have a daughter, Jessica Lynn, who is three years old, and a son, Daniel Lee, who is nine months old. Steve is a farmer and Jerri is a nurse at the Ringgold County Hospital.

Robert Eugene GRAHAM, youngest son of Roy Edward and Gladys Fern (BROWN) GRAHAM, grew up in the Diagonal and Benton area. The family purchases the LINK farm in 1959, and they moved south of Benton where his Mom and brother, Dick, still live. In 1962, Robert was drafted into the Army and he served two years, stationed in Ft. Benning, Georgia, serving the last three months in Vietnam.

In June of 1966, Robert married Karyn EMIG, daughter of Gerald Henry and Darlene Lucille (LANTZ) EMIG of Lenox. They lived that first year in Mount Ayr. In November of 1967, their son, Robert LeRoy, was born. They purchased the Marshal MATTHEWS' home in Benton in March of 1968. Here, daughter, Kelley LeAnn, was born in August of 1969.

Robert worked for many years for International harvester as a diesel mechanic. In 1975, be became sub-rural carrier for Laverne KLEJCH of Diagonal. He was appointed full-time carrier on September 3, 1982, after KLEJCH'S retirement. At this writing, he is carrier on rural route #2, Diagonal, Iowa.

Karyn began working at the Benton Post office in January, 1973, replacing Iona GROVES, who moved to postmaster on August 20, 1983, and is still serving in that capacity.

Son, Rob, is a senior and eighteen years old. Daughter, Kelly is a sophomore and is sixteen years old.

NOTE: Charles Edward GRAHAM was born in 1868, and died on July 6, 1944. Luella H. GRAHAM was born in 1874, and died in 1966.

Gladys Fern (BROWN) GRAHAM died on November 18, 1988. Charles Lee "Bud" GRAHAM was born September 26, 1932, and died on January 4, 2007. Ruby Belle (BOWEN) GRAHAM was born July 5, 1937, and died on August 27, 1999. Steven Dean "Steve" GRAHAM, was born March 27, 1955, and died February 14, 2000.

They were interred at Benton Cemetery.

SOURCE: 1887 - Benton, Iowa Centennial - 1987. Pp. 205-06. Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library, Mount Ayr IA

Transcriptions and notes by Sharon R. Becker, October of 2012

Return to Ringgold County Home Page

To submit your Ringgold County materials, contact The County Coordinator.
Please include the word "Ringgold" in the subject line. Thank you.