John "Jack" Roop Graham

Jack Graham passed away quietly in Fruitland Decembe 4, 2014 on the same property where he was born, September 1, 1914, a century ago. Jack was the sixth child of Guy and Jenny Graham. His parents left from Centerview, Missouri after their wedding, traveling in a rented boxcar along with their draft horses and arrived in Fruitland around 1898. Their homestead on Elmore Rd. has been in the Graham family for 116 years.

Jack grew up in Fruitland and loved fast cars and the trombone. He married Marjorie Indermuehle in Weiser on June 19, 1937. During World War II, Jack and Marjorie worked at Kaiser Shipyard in Portland, OR. On September 2, 1945, the day Japan surrendered, they returned to Fruitland for the rest of their lives. Jack as a jack of all trades; he ran a small farm and one-man automobile service. Later he worked for the canneries and Payette County as a mechanic.

Throughout his life, Jack loved working with animals and cars. His final retirement project lasted well into the 90's; the restoration of a 1934 Ford pickup. Jack and Marjorie spent happy times in their cabin in Cascade, Idaho. Later in life, he spent his time with books on tape, petting his cat, Rusty, and looking out to the mountains that he knew so well as a boy. Jack was kind, patient and optimistic. He reached his goal of living 100 years, enjoying good health until the last few weeks of his life.

Jack was preceded in death by Marjorie in 1998 and recently, by his daughter, JoAnne Hallberg, who owned the Elmore Rd. home and who, with much help by her husband, Fritz Hallberg, took care of Jack through his 90's.

He is survived by three daughters, Judy Holman of Trout Lake, WA, Janis Dillard of Milford, DE, Marilou Smith of Wilsonville, OR, son, David Graham of Scappoose, OR, six grandchildren, three great grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held on May 16, 2015 at 1:30 P.M. at the Olde School in Fruitland. The family requests donations be sent to The Olde School Community Center at Alma Mater, Inc. P.O. Box 904, Fruitland, ID 83619. AMI is a non-profit organization.