Truman F. Graves

Truman F. Graves died Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2009, in Minot at age 94.

He was born Oct. 11, 1915, at Lansford, to Claude and Delia Graves. The family moved to Columbus in 1929, where his father owned the Columbus Drug Store.

Truman attended Columbus High School, graduating in 1932. He then attended the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, graduating with a civil engineering degree.

Truman married Marie Pauline Russell of Leeds in 1939. He worked for Gaffaney's Office Equipment of Grand Forks until 1944, when he moved to Minot and became a partner with George Osdoba in the Minot Typewriter Co. Upon George's retirement, Truman became the sole proprietor. In 1966 he went to Terrytown, N.Y., to study computer programming. His fascination for computers became a second career for him, and he wrote the first computer programs for use by grain elevator operators in North Dakota. Truman retired from business in 1976.

Truman was an avid, life-long hunter and fisherman. In addition to being an exceptional wingshooter, he was known for the uncanny ability to return directly to the specific site of a good hunt even decades after the event. He also was an enthusiastic trapshooter until his death, accumulating a large collection of trophies. A past president of the Minot Gun Club, Truman served on its board for 25 years. He also served on the North Dakota State Trapshooting Association Board for 20 years, and was the state delegate to the American Trapshooting Association (ATA) in 1973-74. Truman shot more than 250,000 registered clay targets and was a member of the ATA 250 Club. He was inducted into the North Dakota Trapshooters' Hall of Fame in 1984.

His wife, Pauline; his brother, Chester Graves; his sisters, Ionne Coad and Beryl Eikenes; and his grandchildren, Tim Graves and Tracey Wooten, preceded Truman in death.

He is survived by: his daughter and son-in-law, Diane and Craig Woloshyn, Custer, S.D., his son and daughter-in-law, Dennis and Rosemary Graves, San Francisco, Calif., his son and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey and Pauline Graves, Cape Girardeau, Mo., his son, John Graves, Grand Forks; his son, Rodney Graves, St. Paul, Minn.; 14 grandchildren and numerous great-grandchildren.

Funeral service: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 707-16th Ave. SW, Minot.

Visitation and prayer service: Visitation Friday, Oct. 23, from 3 to 7 p.m., with a prayer service at 7 p.m., both at Thompson-Larson Funeral Home, 21-3rd Ave. SW, Minot.

Burial: Oct. 24 at Rosehill Memorial Park cemetery, Minot, immediately after the funeral service.

Memorials: The family asks that any memorials be sent to: Minot Gun Club, P.O. Box 615, Minot, N.D. 58702.

Those wishing to sign the online guest register or share memories of Truman may access the online obituaries at (www.thompsonlarson.com).