Frederick Samuel Charles “Fred” Graves, 98, of Altus, went to be with the Lord Wednesday, March 10, 2010, at Plantation Village Nursing Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday at the Altus Church of God, 900 S. Park Lane, with James Seeley and Pastor Bill Estep officiating. Burial will follow at the Altus City Cemetery under the direction of the Kincannon Funeral Home.

Fred Graves was born April 2, 1911, in Lone Wolf, to Robert Jefferson and Bessie Mary (Smith) Graves. Fred married Minnie Viola Ivey Dec. 1, 1931, in Holdenville. He worked in civil service at the Altus Air Force Base and Love Field in Dallas, Texas, for many years. He worked as an oil field pumper on the N.D. Goldsmith lease, southeast of Altus. The most important thing he did was to become a Christian in 1954. He, along with his wife Viola, became members of the First Assembly of God Church in Altus.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Viola in 2002; one son, Donald Charles Graves in 1978; four brothers, Paul Graves, Junior Graves, Roy Graves and Wayne Graves; and three sisters, Gladys Bills, Mary (Bertie) Blair and Lucille Ellis.

Fred is survived by three daughters and their husbands, Lula Mae Brown and husband Robert, Juanita Brown and husband Jessie, all of Lawton, and Mary Ann Carter and husband Milton of Duke; a daughter-in-law, Joan Graves of Lawton; six granddaughters, Renee Fultz of Lawton, Dana Ponder of Lawton, Debra Sanders of Bixby, Sheila Frasier of Jenks, Anita Underwood of Duncan, and Lisa Brown of Otsego, Mich.; three grandsons, Nicky Brown of Lawton, Robert Dale Brown of Lawton, and Charles Graves of Dallas; many great-grandchildren and a very special and dear friend, Laura Sadler.

Online tributes may be made at kincannonfuneralhome.com