Graber, Henry P. (1881-1959)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1959 Dec 3 p. 8

Birth date: 1881 Aug 24th

text of obituary:

HENRY P. GRABER

Henry P. Graber, son of Peter J. and Elizabeth (Graber) Graber, was born in Turner County, South Dakota on Aug. 24, 1881 and passed away suddenly at his home in Freeman, So. Dak. Nov. 10, 1959, having reached the age of 78 years, two months and 16 days.

He was baptized upon his profession of faith on June 9, 1898 by Rev. Joseph Kaufman and received into the membership of the Salem-Zion church. In 1908 he transferred his membership to the Salem church where he was a faithful member until his death.

On Oct. 16, 1902 he was married to Lydia miller and together they shared 57 years of married life under God’s love and rich blessing.

His youth was spent under the hardships and privations of pioneer life on the Dakota prairie. Those years were made even more difficult by the death of his father, leaving his mother with five children, the oldest 11 years of age. That same year two brothers, John and Peter, also passed away.

On two occasions he faced death in a very real way. When he was 10 months old he and his brother were saved from death when fire destroyed their home. Their mother rushed into the burning house, broke a window and threw the children out to safety. She then also escaped through the window her clothes aflame. She saved her life by tipping over a rain barrel and rolling herself in the water to put out the flames. In 1938 he submitted to a serious operation. Doctors gave very little hope for his recovery, but again his life was spared.

He always had an active interest in church and community affairs and frequently was called upon to serve in responsible positions.

He considered farming as his life occupation and was engaged in this work until 1930. He served as county commissioner from 1928 to 1936. He moved to Freeman in 1936 where he opened a shoe repair shop. Advancing years and failing health forced him to retire from this work in the spring of 1959.

He was preceded in death by his parents, five brothers, one sister and one grandchild. He leaves to mourn his departure his wife Lydia; three sons, Peter, Eldon, and Richard, and one daughter, Celia (Mrs. Christ. Preheim), all of the Freeman area; three daughters-in-law, one son-in-law, 10 grandchildren, two great-grandchildren, and one brother, Jonathan. — The Family.