Alta Coffenbury Graves (1868-1928)
(Mrs. William Graves)
PASSES AWAY VERY SUDDENLY
MRS. WILLIAM GRAVES TAKEN SUDDENLY WORSE AND DEATH FOLLOWED.
The community was shocked last Saturday afternoon when it was learned that Mrs. William Graves had passed away at her home on Mill street. She has not been good health for several years, but it was not thought that she was in so serious a condition. She was up and around the house in the morning and in the afternoon was taken with a severe vomiting spell; she rapidly grew worse and passed away in a short time. A post mortem was held and it developed that the cause of death was a gall stone.Mrs. Alta (Coffenbury) Graves was born near Sherburnville, Ill., on March 26, 1868, and died at her home in Lowell, July 28, 1928, the immediate cause of her death being a rupture caused by a gall stone, as revealed by a post-mortem examination. She had passed her 60th birthday four months and two days. She was the second child in a family of five children, being the daughter of Benton Coffenbury, and the grand-daughter of Elder Coffenbury, whose labors as a minister of the Gospel were connected with the Church of Christ in this section of the country both before and after the Civil war. During the ministry of Rev. Linkletter at Sherburnville she united with the Church of Christ and was baptized at the age of fourteen years. She united with the Lowell congregation by letter in 1893 while Bro. Hootman was minister.
Her marriage to William Graves was solemnized December 26, 1885. They became the parents of three children, Vira, now Mrs. Walter Einspahr, and Roy Graves, of Lowell, and Mrs. Vessie Sands, of Hammond.
Mrs. Graves had lived all her married life of 43 years in or near the town of Lowell. Her hearing was affected some 32 years ago and she has been in poor health for more than fifteen years. These physical handicaps caused her to remain much at home and prevented her from enjoying public assemblies.
Besides the husband and three children, and an aunt, Mrs. Halverson, there are three grand-children, Lucile Ludeman, Clifton and Betty Jane Einspahr, and quite a number of other relatives, with many friends whom she had made in this community, all of whom will miss her presence and mourn her departure.
Funeral, under the direction of Weaver and Son, was conducted Monday afternoon, July 30, at the Church of Christ, J.E. Poer, minister.
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