Obituary for
Beverly Graves
Beverly Michael Graves age 100, was born in Daytona Florida on February 18, 1916 and died September 7, 2016 in Vero Beach, Florida. She moved to Indian River County when she was 3 and grew up on Orchid Island within the pioneer Michael family. Beverly graduated from Vero Beach High School in 1934 and worked as the postmistress in Winter Beach until she married her husband of 65 years, J. Hubert Graves. Beverly was a homemaker but also donated much of her time to the community. She was an aircraft spotter during World War II watching for enemy planes to approach. A charter member of the Vero Beach Art Club, she donated her paintings for fundraisers to the Indian River Historical Society, The Heritage Center and Main Street Vero Beach. Beverly was a lifetime member of the Garden Club of Indian River County with the Hibiscus Circle and was responsible for the building of the Garden Club Center. She was an award winning flower arranger and chaired many community landscape and beautification projects including First United Methodist Church, Vero Beach High School and the Old Indian River County Courthouse. Beverly was instrumental in the building of First United Methodist Church and founded the Alter Guild there. She even grew flowers in her own garden to use for the church. Beverly is predeceased by her husband, J. Hubert Graves, her daughter Gretchen Graves, son Hubert Graves, Jr., daughter-in-law Jeane Sloan Graves and sister Audrey Harbaugh. She is survived by her three granddaughters, Janie Graves Hoover, A. Julia “Judy” Graves, and Jeane Graves Bartlett (Gary Bartlett) as well as her six great-grandchildren, Amelia Jane Graves, Toccoa Jeane Graves, Stephen Frank Hoover, McGuire Graves Hoover, Cara Sloan Bartlett and Keith Hubert Ketchens. She will be missed by her many relatives, friends, garden club members and close family friend Bethany Rice. Services for Mrs. Graves will be held at the First United Methodist Church at 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 10, 2016. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Garden Club of Indian River County Memorial Fund or First United Methodist Church.
