My Graves Family
More than likely our Graves family descended from the family of Thomas Graves of Hartford Connecticut and Hatfield Massachusetts. Thomas Graves was born in England, married Sarah Whiting, and she and five children and servants came to America in 1629. My DNA study shows me to be a match with direct decedents of Thomas Graves.
Thomas Graves 1585-1662
John Graves 1622-1677
John Graves 1653-1730
John Graves 1681-1716
Deacon Nathan Graves 1716-1786
Amasa Graves 1743-1820
One of Amasa's sons was "Erastus Graves (994) was born 23 Sept. 1774 in Williamsburg, and died in camp. He married Melinda Lyon on 6 June 1798. She was the daughter of Zebina and Lydia Lyon of Whately, Mass. They lived in New York State, and later moved to Michigan. He was a great hunter. They had several children, but they died early. (R-200) " Thomas Graves of Hartford, CT and Hatfield, MA by Kenneth Vance Graves.
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‘FAM.1 ERASTUS GRAVES, son of Amassa6 and Phebe (Cary) Graves, b. Williamsburg, 9-23-1774; m. Melinda, dau. Zebina Lyon of Whately, p. 489). He probably came to Mid. When his father settled. In 1797 he bought his fathers lot 205 Worth. And was living there in 1800. The farm was at the lower end of Ridgepole Road on or near the "Warner Lot," where Jesse Johnson lived later. By 1810 he had moved to New York State. Later he moved to Michigan. He was a great hunter and is said to have died alone in camp.
Children:
Melinda, b. 4-4-1801
Amasa, bap. 12-17-1805
Sevila, bap. 12-17-1805"
A History of the Town of Middlefield, Massachusetts
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I believe the above family to be mine, but at this time I do not have the documentation to prove so.
My great great grandfather Erastus was born in Massachusetts in the 1770s and lived a long and exciting life. His grandson Erastus the younger gave several accounts of the stories he was told when he was young.
Nathan Graves, my great grandfather, was born Sept 14, 1809 in Cayoga county, New York. He married His first wife, Hannah Jane Pettigrove age 28 of Eckford, Michigan, November 11, 1841. He stated at that time that he was from IRA, New York, and 31 years old. Their marriage was recorded in Albion, Michigan. Nathan had several children with Hannah. Their first son William Henry Graves was born February 15, 1843. Erastus Lemuel Graves was born February 14, 1845 in Fulton, Rock County, Wisconsin. Hannah Malinda Graves was born on the September 30, 1847, also in Fulton Township, Rock County. There was another child. We believe his name to be David D Graves born July 1850 also in Rock County (records are confusing concerning this).
Nathan petitioned the court for a divorce from Hannah on April 19, 1858 in South Bend Indiana. We find Nathan and His second wife in the 1860 Census at Fulton Township, Rock County, Wisconsin. The 1860 Census lists the family as; Nathan Graves, Catharine Taylor Graves (wife), Sarah Taylor(Catharine’s Sister), Erastus Graves (younger), Hannah Malinda Graves, and Erastus Graves the older. Nathan and Catharine’s first child Emaline Graves was 7 months old. Nathan had a farm with the value of $2,500.00 and household goods valued at $400.00.
Nathan signed the sale of his Fulton farm on February 10, 1862. The family moved west to California by way of covered wagon. Their first son, Robert Nelson Graves was born in Murphys California on July 27, 1863. Catherine purchased 75 acres of land for $600.00 on September 29, 1863. This piece of land had a log cabin on it as well as a cave, creek and a mountain with large limestone outcroppings. The land extended from Murphys' Big Tree Road near the flats to the top of the hill at the water ditch. From this land they had an overview of Murphys Camp.
The 1864 tax record show his assets included 2 wagons, a Spanish cow, 2 mules, 40 fowl and tools. He paid tax of $36.46 to the state. On December 8, 1864 he purchased another 25 acres from Porter and Susan Johnson for $100.00. This lot was enclosed by a fence and included a house, barn and stables. Wealthy Cora A Graves was born June 21, 1865. On Sunday September 23, 1866 we believe that Nathan signed, with 9 others, a charter organizing the First Congregational Church of Murphys California. Before this time the Protestants of Murphys had been serviced for a time by the Methodist Church. On March 2, 1867 Emma Jane Graves was born . It was in 1867 that the United States Government required all males 18 years and older to be recorded in the Great Registry or the Great Book and we find that N L Graves (Nathan Lemuel Graves) was recorded as being 57 years old, living in Murphys, a farmer as an occupation and born in New York. Erastus Lemuel Graves was listed as 97 years old, a farmer in Murphys and born in Massachusetts.
The 1868 tax records have Nathan with 100 acres of land including house and barns values at $400.00. He had a wagon, cow, mules, hogs and hay. On July 24, 1868, Sarah Ella Graves was born. Erastus L Graves died between the time of the Great Registry and the 1870 Census at Murphys. I have not been able to find any record of his death. I have searched the cities, counties and state records, but have found no records of his death. There were two local cemeteries but none list his name. He may have been buried on the farm. The acreage where the farm was located has been developed into single family residences.
The 1870 Census lists Nathan as 60 years old and still farming. Catherine is 38 and keeping house. Etta is 11 and Robert as 7 years old and attending school. The old school building is still in Murphys today and is near the towns Cemetery. Wealthy Cora is 4 and Annie (Emma J) is 3 years old. Ella is 2 years old. Nathan’s property was valued at $1,000.00 and household goods were valued at $300.00. On September 27, 1870, Mary Catherine Graves was born.
On July 31, 1871 Nathan’s name was removed from the Great Registry because the family had or was in the process of moving. They moved to Lemoore, California. They settled on a section of land just inside the boundary of Tulare (Tule) Lake. I believe they first had 40 acres but worked up to 120 acres. Nathan built a house and barn and had a dairy, fruit trees, and some produce. Albert Wesley Graves was born on June 27, 1875 in the house at the Lemoore Farm. Nathan died on May 5, 1877 at Lemoore and was buried in the Lemoore Cemetery, the first to be buried in the
Graves Family Plot.
The children helped Catharine continue the farming but they also went to school. Etta married William Blevins a native of Tennessee on May 10, 1882. They build a house on part of Nathan’s land and Will helps in the farming. Emma marries William Faunce on March 15, 1886 and they take up housekeeping in Lemoore. On July 24, 1887 Sarah Ella married Edward Sellers and they move into a house downtown Lemoore. Ed Sellers, at a later time, was a trustee of the High School and He managed a local Bank. Robert N Graves the older son of Nathan helped Catharine work the farm. Wealthy Cora married Charles Beltz, from Caruthers, California, September 10, 1890.
In 1889 the Graves family started attending the Seventh-day Adventist bible classes on Saturdays in Lemoore. On December 12, 1991 Albert age 16, was baptized as a member of the Lemoore SDA church.
Albert, my grandfather, went to Healdsburg College (Pacific Union College) during the 1893 school year and stayed with his sister Cora Beltz. Cora and Charles Beltz lived at Healdsburg and worked for the college. Charles Beltz was in charge of the landscaping and the upkeep of the school properties. September 8, 1893, Mary Catherine Graves married Richard Osborn of Caruthers California. Albert returns home from school and works on the farm with his mother and brother, Robert. Weathly Cora Beltz (Cora) becomes pregnant and has a very difficult pregnancy. She dies on February 17, 1896.
Catharine R Graves died August 5, 1999 in Lemoore and was buried beside her husband, Nathan and daughter, Cora, in the family plot. Albert continues to work the farm with his brother, Robert and brother-in –law, Will Blevins. On February 12, 1902, Robert Nelson Graves dies of gastro enteritis, on a farm in Perrin Colony Fresno, where he was working.
Albert was interested in many things. He spent some time gold mining and Aunt Aura Mae remembers him showing a vile of gold that he kept. He also built carriages (wagons). The standard taxi type carriage with the fringe on top. Aunt Aura Mae said that he was a great horseman and could also drive a team of 24 mules. He went to the borate mines to learn to do this. He was also a master of cracking the whip, and could take the hat off of your head without touching a hair. He eventually purchased a team of 16 workhorses and worked them in the Lemoore valley helping to build the levies and waterways in the greater area. When he moved to Yuma he sold a great deal of his horses and cattle. I'm not to sure when or how they became acquainted, whether at church or by working the oil fields or levies, but Albert became best friends with George Albert Rutan. They would later marry sisters. He was also good friends with Mr. Flory and Mr. Breitigan there in Lemoore.
I am not certain when Albert first met Mary Stearns, but they became acquainted when he attended an SDA camp meeting in Redlands California. They were married on January 1, 1907 in Redlands California. They made their home in Lemoore on the family farm that Nathan had built and where Albert was born. Albert and Mary's first three children were born in this same house. Aura Mae Graves, born April 10, 1910, Katherin Adel Graves on December 4, 1912, and Alberta Inez Graves was born on the 25th of August, 1916.
Leander John Stearns (Andy), Mary Stearns's father, and family moved from Redlands to Lemoore and worked a farm there, very soon after Mary and Alberts wedding, not very far from Albert's farm. (Andy) liked being with his children so much so that he decided to find land large enough for all his children and grandchildren to have land to work and be close to him. He purchased a full school section in Yuma, Arizona and convinced Mary and Albert to move there. They would have a sure crop of cotton. The demand for cotton and its price was excellent and all the children would have their vary own farm. So Albert and his family moved to Yuma in 1917. Some of Andy's children and relatives did move there and farmed for a time. Albert had two forty-acre partials and worked more land at a later date. The land was undeveloped and it took a long time to build a farm. It was while they had the Yuma farm that Edward Graves, my father, was born. He was born September 2, 1923 at the Glendale Sanitarium and Hospital in Glendale, California.
Albert and Mary Graves spent many years on the farm in Yuma. They eventually retired and moved to Huntington Beach California. Mary's parents, had moved to Huntington Beach earlier and that's where the young cousins would go during the hot days of summer. Staying with Gramps (Andy) and Grammy (Gennie) and playing at the beach, and around the machinery of the oil derricks. Albert and Mary lived not to far from her parents and her sister ( Louise). Albert drove taxi for a while after retiring. Albert died November 4, 1951. Mary died September 12, 1960. They are buried at Westminster Cemetery.
