Richland, Oregon
Edgar C. Graven, 85, a longtime Richland resident, died April 10, 2001, at his home.
His graveside funeral will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Eagle Valley Cemetery in Richland. Pastor Gordon Bond of the Richland Christian Church will officiate.
Visitations will be from 8:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. Friday at the Richland Christian Church.
Mr. Graven was born on June 22, 1915, at New Bridge to Cecil and Cora Prock Graven. He attended school at New Bridge and lived there until about 1933 when he began working with the Civilian Conservation Corps. He did some mining at Greenhorn, Cornucopia and also worked at the dredge in Sumpter.
Mr. Graven was a corporal in the Quartermasters and at the end of World War II spent the remainder of his service in the Philippines. He spent most of his career at Timber Structures in heavy construction. He worked nationwide supervising construction of auditoriums, warehouses, field houses, churches, shopping centers and domes. He supervised the construction of the first wooden dome built in the United States in 1956 in Ohio.
He returned to his birthplace of Eagle Valley in 1976. He loved to hunt and fish and spent most of his last years in those activities. He also spent time panning for gold and traveling to see family. He was always generous in sharing his wealth of knowledge of the history of Eastern Oregon. He was well-read and was an avid fan of world history.
He was preceded in death by his sister, Hazel Connall; brothers, Loran Graven and Drake Graven; and a son, Edgar Graven Jr.
Survivors include his sons, Tom Graven and Duane Graven; sisters, Myrtle Peterson, Vernita Gillmore and Betty Scott; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews; and his longtime special friend, Ida Thompson of Halfway.
Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of one’s choice through Gray’s West & Co., P.O. Box 726, Baker City, Ore. 97814.
Used with permission from: The Baker City Herald, Baker City, Oregon, April 13, 2001
Transcribed by: Belva Ticknor
