• Born: 6 August 1918, Cooperstown, Griggs County, North Dakota, USA
• Marriage (1): Mae HOUSER on 30 August 1941 in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington, USA
• Died: 11 July 1988, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, USA at age 69
• Buried: 1988, Westminster, Orange County, California, USA

  General Notes

Willard Pershing Graber was born on 6 August 1918 in Cooperstown, Griggs County, North Dakota, the tenth child of Kit Carson Graber (1875 –1962) and Iva Mae McKeehan (1879 –1950).

In 1936, Willard, along with his parents and some of his siblings, left North Dakota came to live in Linn County, Oregon. In 1937, he enlisted in the Oregon National Guard and was assigned to the 249th Coast Artillery Regiment. After serving three years on a part-time basis, Willard was honorably discharged at the rank of Private First Class in 1940.

On August 30, 1941, Willard married Mae Hauser (1923 –1989) in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington. Mae was the daughter of Leroy Houser (1886 –1963) and Eunice Rutledge (1897 –1971). Although their marriage ended in divorce in 1945, Willard and Mae had one son together, Roger Victor Graber (1942 –1997), who was later adopted by Mae's second husband.

On 8 October 1943, Willard enlisted into the Army Air Corps at the rank of Private. Most of his service during WWII was spent in training to be a Pilot, first at the College Training Detachment at George Peabody College, then at Carlstrom Field in Arcadia, Florida. Because the Army Air Corps had enough pilots, many Pilot training programs were closed. Willard was sent to the Las Vegas Aerial Gunnery School, where he trained to be an Aerial Gunner. He was eventually sent to Harlingen Army Air Field in Texas, where he completed his service as a Supply Clerk. He was discharged in 1945 at the rank of Private First Class (PFC).

On 13 December 1947, Willard married Alice Lucretia (Wellin) Lapham (1916 –1985) in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon. Alice was the daughter of William Percy Wellin (1895 –1977) and Lois Beatrice Agee (1897 –1983). Following their marriage, they lived in the Portland area, as well as in Albany, where Willard helped raise Alice's three daughters from her previous marriage: Gloria, Margaret, and Jacqueline. They also had two daughters together: Sharolyn Iva Graber (1948 –1970) and Marla Jean Graber (1952 – 2007). While in Oregon, Willard worked as a Fireman for the Milwaukie Fire Department; and as a contractor building homes.

In about 1962, Willard and Alice moved to Westminster, Orange County, California. There Willard worked as a Quality Control Inspector in the Machinist industry, owning and operating Graber Engineering for a while. In 1985, Willard's beloved wife, Alice, passed away. On 11 February 1987, he married Dorothy Gertrude (Prescher) Hastings in Las Vegas, Clark County, Nevada. Willard passed away on 11 July 1988, nearly three years after Alice. He was buried beside Alice in Westminster Memorial Park.

— bio courtesy of FindAGrave

  Burial Notes

Westminster Memorial Park

  Recorded Events in His Life

• Other Spouses: Alice Lucretia Wellin Lapham (1916-1985, m. 1947); Dorothy Gertrude Prescher Hastings (m. 1987).

• Parents: Kit Carson Graber and Iva Mae McKeehan.

• Gallery: Roger as a baby with his parents, about 1942, in Linn County, Oregon, USA.

• Gallery: Willard during pilot training in WWII, about 1944.

• Gallery: Willard and his second wife, Alice, about 1948, in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon, USA.

• Gallery: Willard and Alice Graber, about 1980, in Westminster, Orange County, California, USA. ²

• He was buried at the Westminster Memorial Park in Westminster, Orange County, California, USA in 1988.

Willard married Mae HOUSER on 30 August 1941 in Vancouver, Clark County, Washington, USA. The marriage ended in divorce in 1945. (Mae HOUSER was born on 15 May 1923 in Montana, USA,^{3 4 5 6} died on 12 August 1989 in Oakridge, Lane County, Oregon, USA ^{4 5} and was buried on 16 August 1989 in Eugene, Lane County, Oregon, USA ⁶.). The cause of her death was brain cancer caused by malignant melanoma.

  Recorded Events about their Marriage

• Gallery: Willard and Mae Graber, about 1941.