1944-2024
Connie Rebecca Powell Graber, 80, passed away November 3, 2024, at her home.
A celebration of life services will be held at the Central Baptist Church in Winfield at 2 PM on Saturday, November 16th, 2024. Memorials may be made to the Central Baptist Church and left in the care of the Shelley Family Funeral Home.
She was born at the Naval Base in Charleston, SC, on March 13, 1944. She was the daughter of Conley and Marjorie Powell. Her father, known as "Chip,” was in the US Navy during WWII. Her sister Carol was born six years later. When the war was over, the family moved to Atlanta, Ga., Birmingham, AL., and New Orleans, La., and then lived in Ashville, NC., for several years, then eventually moved to Tulsa, OK. Where she met Gerald “Jerry” Graber at Memorial Baptist Church in Tulsa. After graduating from Nathen Hale High School, she began a study in nursing at Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee, OK. She married Jerry Graber on August 21, 1965, at the age of 21 at the Memorial Baptist Church. In 1966, the couple moved to Kansas City, Mo., where Jerry went to seminary and graduated in 1970. In 1969, they adopted their first child, John, at age 3 weeks. They moved to Topeka, KS, in 1969 to pastor. They adopted Rachel, their second child in June 1971. They moved to Leavenworth, KS, in 1975. There they had two sons: James, born in August of 1976, and Joseph, born in August of 1978. The family moved to pastor in 1981 to Tulsa, OK, then in 1986 to Winfield. During her time in Winfield, she continued to raise her children. She taught children, youth and adult bible classes at Central Baptist Church, and she was involved in the Winfield Community Theater for over 30 years. She was a nurse at William Newton Hospital and later with the Kansas Veterans home from 87’-08’.
She is survived by her husband Gerald “Jerry” Graber of 59 years of marriage, her sister Carol Carlyle of N.C., her four children John Graber (Ralesa) of Colorado Springs, CO, and Rachel Brown (Troy) of Augusta, KS. James Graber of Denver, CO, and Joseph Graber (Kelly) of Lees Summit, MO. Grandchildren Chase, Riley, Royce, Secorra, Craig, Gabrielle, Brandon, Reuben, Emily, Ella, and Addison, and numerous great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her parents.
