ROBERT EUGENE GRAHAM

Robert Eugene “Bob” Graham was born on October 12, 1941, in rural Diagonal to Roy Edward and Gladys Fern (Brown) Graham. He was the youngest of six children. He attended school at Mount Ayr, Benton, and Diagonal, class of 1960. He worked on the farm helping his brother’s Don and Dick and other farms in the area.
He worked at Roe Implement when he received his draft notice, on the day President Kennedy was shot, to the U. S. Army. He served in Vietnam and was a member of the 1st Battalion of the 5th Calvary Air Mobile Division. He served from 1963 to 1965. After the service he continued working for Roe Implement until it closed in 1982. He was a mechanic at a few other places. He became a substitute mail carrier and then got a full-time route in Diagonal in 1982. He later transferred to a Clearfield route before retiring in 2006.
He married Karyn Kay (Emig) on June 12, 1966, in Clarinda, IA. To this union, a son was born. Rob (friend, Heidi Lumbard) and a daughter, Kelly LeAnn. (husband, Daron) Richie.
Bob enjoyed working on cars and tractors, especially making them run harder than originally intended. This love got him into building pulling tractors and pulling pickups. He built a pulling garden tractor especially for his children. He enjoyed deer hunting and taught it to his son and grandsons.
Bob passed away March 24, 2022. He was preceded in death by his parents, Roy and Gladys; his sister, Betty Jean; brothers, Charles Lee “Bud”, Donald Dean (wife, Belle), Richard Ray “Dick”; nephew, Steve; nephew-in-law, Robert Schlapia; in-laws, Gerald and Darlene (Lantz) Emig; Rodney Emig, Jerry (Lynne) Emig, and Donna Hardisty.
Bob is survived by his wife of 55 years, Karyn; son, Rob, (friend, Heidi Lumbard); daughter, Kelly, (husband, Daron Richie); two grandsons, Trevor Richie and Taylor (wife, Jamie) Richie; and three great grandchildren, Hailey James and Zoey Lynn Grandfield and Tripp Eugene Richie; sister, Shirley, (husband, Junior) Klejch; in-laws, Gary (Linda) Emig, Larry (Carol) Emig, Don Hardisty; many nieces nephews and friends.
Services were at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, March 28, 2022 at the Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr, IA.
Officiating was Rev. Edward Wegele.
Songs were “Daddy’s Hands”, “Here I Am Lord” and “‘Til You Can’t”.
Casketbearers were Trevor Richie, Taylor Richie, Daniel Graham, Ben Graham, Adam Schlapia and Joe Hansen.
Honorary pallbearers were Gary Klejch, Rick Graham, Steve Worthington, John Whittington, Lyle Swank, Jr, John Rychnovsky, Gary Sobotka and Bob Andrews.
Burial was at the Benton Cemetery in Benton, IA.
Military Honors were by the Morris-Herrold Post 395 and U.S. Army Honor Guard.
Memorials are to the Waubonsie Community Building in Benton, IA.