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Olivelle Moore Graves, 96, longtime Muskogee resident, died Sunday, December 28, 2008.
Mrs. Graves taught English at West Junior High School and Muskogee Central High School for more than 25 years before retiring. She was active in many local organizations, including the Shakespeare Club, Daughters of the American Revolution, Daughters of the American Colonists, United Daughters of the Confederacy, Jamestown Society, and the National Society of Colonial Dames. For many years, she was a member of local duplicate bridge clubs, and was an avid genealogist, tracing her family histories.
Olivelle Moore was born in Muskogee on February 18, 1912. Her parents had met here while working on the Dawes Commission land allotments. She graduated from Muskogee Central High School, and attended Stephens College in Missouri, Oklahoma University, Arkansas University, Southern California University, and Northeastern State College before graduating with a bachelor’s degree in English.
She was teaching at West Junior High School when she met Earl Graves, her husband for 63 years. She spent much of the duration of World War II in San Francisco, while Earl served in the U.S. Navy in several major Pacific campaigns. While in San Francisco, she worked in the USO and the Armed Forces Post Office. Eventually returning to Muskogee, Mrs. Graves began teaching at Muskogee Central, where she taught senior English, and eventually became head of the school’s English department.
While working full time in her teaching position, she earned a master of arts in education degree from Northeastern State College in 1969. After her retirement from teaching in 1977, she remained active n numerous civic organizations, bridge clubs, local societies and the St. Paul United Methodist Church.
She enjoyed more than twenty years of retirement with her husband, who died in 2004, was an avid reader, and enjoyed traveling as well.
Mrs. Graves is survived by her children, Valerie Bullard and her husband, Gary, of Wagoner, OK, Greg Graves and his wife, Francine, of Santa Barbara, CA, Melanie Shepherd and her husband, Dave, of Sand Springs, OK as well as three grandchildren, Tara Dawson (Shepherd), Brett Shepherd and Will Graves.
Funeral services will be 2:00 p.m. Saturday, January 3, 2008 at St. Paul United Methodist Church with Rev. Bill Moorer officiating. Interment will follow in Memorial Park Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Brett Shepherd, Mark Martin, Rob Bettinger, Tim O’Hearn, Leon Mullikin and Gary Bullard.
Funeral service arrangements are under the direction of Foster-Petering Funeral Home.
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