Source: Stark County News, December 14, 1921
After a long and serious illness, Mrs. Joseph Graves passed to her reward last Thursday at her home near Duncan. About four years ago her health began to fail and for the past year she has been very poorly and now has passed to the land where sickness and suffering are unknown.
Mary Jane Whitten, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Whitten was born in Licking County, Ohio, December 13, 1846, and passed away at her home one mile west of Duncan December 8, 1921, thus at her death lacking just five days of being 75 years old. When she was but nine years old, her parents moved to Stark County and settled on the Theodore Whitten farm four miles south of Toulon. At that time the family lived in a little log cabin such as was common in those days.
Here she grew up and this was her home until marriage to Joseph S. Graves and then they moved to the farm one mile west of Duncan and this was he home until the time of her death. To them were born nine children, five boys and four girls. The husband passed away eight years ago and one son and two of the daughters also preceded the mother to the home beyond. The children who are still living are John W. Graves of Winterset, Iowa; Theodore Graves of Duncan; Marion Graves of Winterset, Iowa; Elzie Graves of Princeville; Miss Libby Graves and Mrs. Alice Best of Duncan. She also leaves to mourn her death three brothers and three sisters, William Whitten of West Jersey; Elmer and Elzie Whitten, of Toulon; Mrs. Malinda Trickle and Mrs. Samuel Gingrich, of Toulon; and Mrs. Hattie Atkinson, of West Jersey; Mrs. Ella Gingrich, of Ozark; and Mrs. AJ Scott, of Galesburg.
The funeral services were held in the Stringtown church last Sunday afternoon at 1:00 o’clock and were in charge of Rev. OW Carr, pastor of the Methodist church at Princeville. He was assisted in this service by Rev. Bliss, former pastor of the LaFayette Methodist Church. The burial was in the family lot at the Stringtown Cemetery.