Obituaries

Services for James William Graves 71 of Southmayd who passed away Sunday May 8 2011 at Medical Center of Southeastern Oklahoma in Durant. Services will be held at Dannel Funeral Home on Wednesday May 11 2011 at 2 pm with Rev. Roy Duff officiating. The family will receive friends Tuesday from 6 -8 pm at the funeral home. Interment will follow the service at Tioga Cemetery in Tioga TX. Pallbearers will be Larry Gressett Kevin Gressett John Patrick Elmore James Rigdon Gary Canady and Jimmy Taylor. Honorary Pallbearers will be Dave Gressett Raymond Gressett Ken Rushing Miller Cranfill and John Douglas Elmore (dec.). Jim was born on January 24 1940 in Tioga to Jake and Ruby (Davis) Graves. The Graves worked on a cotton farm and Jim would talk about growing up filling 18 foot sacks of cotton where he learned the meaning of hard work. He also learned about the value of family because he was raised to respect his sisters as well as his parents. Jim was a great athlete who excelled especially in basketball. He could also be very daring as evidenced by his getting a Mohawk haircut when challenged to do so by his friends. After playing a basketball game that night his mother made him eat his dinner under the table. After graduating from high school Jim married the love of his life Donna OÃ?Æ?Ã?¢Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¡Ã?¬Ã?¢ââ?¬Å¾Ã?¢Neal which he met at the skating rink on September 30 1961 and soon after he enlisted in the Army. When he returned from the military Jim was hired by Texas Instruments and he worked as a chemical technician until his retirement. Jim and Donna had three sons Jimmy Harold Billy Don and Timothy David. Jim loved to take his sons fishing and where he would pass along the values that his parents had taught him. Later in life he and his wife loved to go to Shreveport and Las Vegas to gamble. He was a man who never had a bad word said about him and he will be missed. Jim was preceded in death by his wife Donna son Jimmy Harold sisters Faye Gressett and Karitha Canady and his parents. He is survived by two sons: Billy Don Graves of Sanger Tim Graves and wife Stacia of Gunter, two step brothers: Randy and Harold Simpson, step sister: Debbie Simpson, three grandchildren: Kerby Graves Peyton Graves and Paxtyn Graves, three great-grandchildren: Jayden Vega Miguel Vega and Zoey Goytia, sister in law Barbara O""Neal Elmore, and several nieces and nephews.