John Graber

John B. Graber

July 11, 1920 – July 14, 2018



John B. Graber, age 98, died peacefully on July 14, 2018. John was born in Pretty Prairie Kansas into a strong Mennonite family who farmed in the area and were dedicated supporters of their church. He was the youngest of six children of which none are living. He is survived by his wife, Audrey Graber; his son Steve Graber and his wife Roxann; Audrey's children, Cathryn Kasper and her husband Joe; Eric Mueller and his wife Celia; grand children Asa Mueller and his wife Amy and their son Griffin; Hannah Mueller and her daughter Heron; Jacob Kasper and his wife Kat and their children, Willoma and Leo; his elder grandson Julyan Kasper's wife Laura and their children Hunter and Pearl.

John was a farmer, scholar, pastor, a devoted husband and a great lover of poetry and fishing. John was raised in a farming family. He spent many of his younger days on a tractor and to his last days provided oversight and management of the farming of his land in Pretty Prairie, Kansas. John completed his B.A. Degree at Moody Bible College in Chicago and went on to complete a Doctorate of Theology (Th.D.) from Dallas Seminary with high honors. He began his service as a pastor in Mount Ridge Kansas, and over many years served in many churches of various denominations.

John loved poetry. At one point in his life he had committed several hundred poems to memory and would often punctuate his sermons and stories with passages cited from memory. John loved fishing. Along with friends, he and his wife Audrey would travel far and wide in search of salmon, trout, and other types of ocean and river fish. There were many memorable trips made to Mexico...San Carlos, the Sea of Cortes, Loretto, Baja and more.

John lived a full life, he grew food for others to eat, he served his church faithfully, he loved his wife and family, and he pursued with enthusiasm the majesty and wonder of the natural world.