Esther Marie Graves, 86, of Albany died at her home Monday, Dec. 21, 2009.
She was born Dec. 27, 1922 in Westhope, N.D. to Edward Emil and Irma Johanne (Petersen) Jensen.
She moved to Albany in 1947, managing the Cornet Department Store for 22 years and then working at the Oregon State University Bookstore for six years before retiring.
She loved gardening, camping and fishing, and seeing the beauty of where she lived. She loved the Oregon coast and after retirement she lived in Florence and spent her winters in Yuma, Ariz. In 1995 she moved back to Albany.
She enjoyed having her family around her. She created beautiful embroidered stitchery pictures, many of which were of places she had been.
She is survived by sons and daughters-in-law Ronald and Katherine Graves of Carbondale, Ill., Walter and Mona Graves of Kamuela, Hawaii, and Guy and Jeanette Graves of Foster; brothers Glenn Jensen of Westhope, N.D. and Curtis Jensen of Yuma, Ariz.; sister Arlene and brother-in-law William Ross of Lakewood, Wash.; 10 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her mother (1961) and father (1990); son Steven Graves (1996); great-grandson Dylan McKee (2003); and sister-in-law Mary Jensen (2006).
A memorial service will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 9, at First Christian Church, 432 SW Ferry St. in Albany. Inurnment will follow at Willamette Memorial Park. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society.
AAsum-Dufour Funeral Home is handling the arrangements.