GRADDY, JESSIE MAE - Faulkner County, Arkansas | JESSIE MAE GRADDY - Arkansas Gravestone Photos

Jessie Mae GRADDY

Beryl Cemetery
Faulkner County,
Arkansas

Jessie Mae
Jan 30, 1926 - Feb 5, 2004
Elmer Hartley
Feb 21, 1925 - Dec 15, 2007

Elmer Hartley Graddy (82) died on the 15th day of December, 2007, in Conway, Arkansas. He was born in the Beryl Community East of Conway on February 21, 1925. He was married to the late Jessie Mae Roberts Graddy, who died February 5, 2004.

He is survived by two sons, Larry E. Graddy (soul mate, Laura J. Hanlon); and Jerry L. Graddy (Ann Merritt), Conway. Larry's two children, Brad A. Graddy, Conway, and Tara C. Graddy Simmons (husband, Thomas Simmons) and Tara's two children, Spencer Thomas Simmons (age 7) and Morgan Taylor Simmons (age 4), Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Jerry's two children, Amy Graddy St. John (husband, Chad St. John), and Amy's son, Connor St. John (age 5), Plano, Texas; and Wendy Graddy Williams and Wendy's two children, Jackson Williams (age 5) and Jordan Williams (age 3), Conway.

Elmer is the 11th of 11 children born to Joseph William Graddy and Naomi Hartley Graddy. Elmer is survived by one sister, Hettie Mae Stephens, Conway. The first born lived only a few hours. The other eight brothers and sisters predeceased him: Burton Graddy (Dessie), Eva Wright (Vollie), Iva McHenry (Buck), Cecil Graddy (Arcie), Phoebie Hamlet (Rod), Jim Joe Graddy (Janice), Ruth Woodruff (Laymont) and Madie Glazebrook (Todd). These siblings and their families were the source of incredible love and devotion all of his life.

Elmer is also survived by two sisters-in-law, Evonna Bradley Payne and Helen Norwine, both of Conway and one brother-in-law, Ralph Roberts of Scott, Arkansas, and their families whom he also loved very much.

Elmer has three former daughters-in-law, Nancy Graddy and Rosemary Conville, both of Conway and Karen Graddy (son, Henry Morschhiemer and daughter, Eva Dedmon), Rogersville, Missouri., who continue to be an important part of his extended family whom he loved and admired.

Elmer was a member of Conway's First Baptist Church for more than 51 years. He was married in First Baptist Church to Jessie Mae Roberts, his high school sweetheart, on March 17, 1946, not long after returning from serving our country in the Pacific Islands during World War II.

Elmer worked at several jobs during his younger years. He was employed on the campus at Hendrix College where his brother, Cecil Graddy, was his boss. He sold International Harvestor Tractors, milked cows at Wasson Dairy, operated a Jackson Cookie truck, worked part-time for Earl Rogers Auto Parts, Sherbert Benton Insurance and Thessing Grocery. In about 1952 he obtained employment at Jacksonville Air Force Base and worked in the commissary. Very soon thereafter, he began his work with the Army Reserve, and spent most his career in Conway at the Army Reserve Center with the 489th Combat Engineering Battalion on the UCA campus. The 489th was activated in 1961 during the Cuban Crisis and he served his country again at Ft. Rooker, Alabama for about one year.

Elmer retired in 1982 to civilian life and alternated employment with his sons which was the source of his accumulated monetary wealth, well at least a small portion of his accumulated wealth. He was a carpenter and handyman for Jerry for many years. He was chairman of the board of maintenance and cleanliness at Faulkner County Title Company for about 10 years, retiring from that position when he was 80 years young. He and Jessie Mae were selfless, tireless servants of their children and grandchildren for many decades. He will be remembered with a smile on his face, a cheerful good day greeting, followed by the best hug of your life. His life was filled with service to others, which helped make him the richest man on earth, for he lived and truly cared for everyone he knew.

Visitation will be Tuesday from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Roller-McNutt Funeral Home, Conway. Funeral services will be Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. at Conway's First Baptist Church, Dr. R. Dale Wicker, Jr. and Reverend Jon Guthrie, officiating. Interment will follow at Beryl Cemetery, Vilonia, Arkansas.

Pallbearers will be Ralph Roberts, Brad Graddy, Chad St. John, Bobby Cantrell, Tommy Simmons, and Barry Dallas. Honorary pallbearers will be Woody Cummins, J. C. Thessing, Henry Morschheimer, Faulkner County Schriners, Conway's First Baptist Church Fellowship Sunday School Class, the retired members of the 489th Combat Engineering Battalion, and the McDonalds Coffee Group.

Special contributions may be made to the Cecil and Arcie Graddy Scholarship Fund at Hendrix College, 1600 Washington Ave., Conway, AR 72032, Conway's First Baptist Church Building Fund and 1719 Robinson Ave., Conway, AR 72034, and the Health Resource Foundation, Inc., 933 Faulkner Street, Conway, AR 72034.

Parents:
Joseph W. Graddy (1873 - 1953)
Naoma Hartley Graddy (1885 - 1951)

Spouse:
Jessie Mae Graddy (1926 - 2004)

Siblings:
Infant Son Graddy (1902 - 1902)
W. Burton Graddy (1904 - 1983)
Iva Lee Graddy McHenry (1906 - 1980)
Eva L. Wright (1906 - 1998)
Phoebe Ann Graddy Hamlett (1912 - 1964)
Hettie Mae Graddy Stephens (1917 - 2014)
Mary Ruth Graddy Woodruff (1919 - 2001)
Elmer Hartley Graddy (1925 - 2007)

Contributed on 1/23/17 by hawkinsdonna
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Record #: 1172064

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Submitted: 1/23/17 • Approved: 1/25/17 • Last Updated: 1/28/17 • R1172064-G1172064-S3

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