The Hawk Eye
Burlington IA
Saturday, 3/11/2000

Bessie Graves
Bessie B. Graves, 84, of Burlington, died at 4:53 p.m. Thursday, March 9, 
2000, at Burlington Medical Center.

Born July 31, 1915, in Warrington, Mo., she was the daughter of Warren E. and 
Myrtle Baker Leek. On April 5, 1936, she married Roy Smith in Pontiac, Ill. 
He died in 1956. She later married Harold Graves in 1967 in Washington. He 
died Dec. 29, 1992.
Mrs. Graves was a homemaker.

She was a member of the Presbyterian Church in Pontiac, where she was 
president of the Setrucha Class, Pontiac Elks, Veterans of Foreign Wars 
Auxiliary and American Legion Auxiliary. She enjoyed spending time at the 
senior center and dancing. 

Survivors include one son, Gerald W. "Jerry" Smith of Fort Madison; one 
stepson, Larry Graves of Pontiac; 12 grandchildren; 14 great-grandchildren; 
one brother, Donald Leek of Anaheim, Calif.; one sister, Doris Laver of 
Phoenix; and several nieces and nephews.

Besides her husbands, she was preceded in death by her parents and two 
brothers.

Visitation will begin at noon today at Hass Funeral Home, where the family 
will receive friends from 2 to 4 p.m. Visitation also will be from 5 to 8 
p.m. Sunday at Duffy Funeral Home in Pontiac.

The funeral for Mrs. Graves will be at 10:30 a.m. Monday at Duffy Funeral 
Home in Pontiac, with the Rev. William Beswick officiating. Burial will be in 
Patty Cemetery in Pontiac.

A memorial has been established.