Michael Lee Graves

"Lest We Forget!"

The Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

ichael Lee Graves, 61, a twenty-five year resident of The Dalles, Oregon, passed away in March 2008 at his home.

He was born in 1946, the youngest of three children to Leon Hugh and Dorothy Pauline (Looney) Graves in Whittier, California. Raised in Izee, Oregon and Bakersfield, California where he was part of Foothill High School's first graduating class in 1964. Michael served in the US Navy during the Vietnam conflict. He attended Bakersfield Junior College, and Western Oregon University Police Academy in Monmouth, Oregon.

He worked as a Lane County Sheriff’s Deputy, a Wasco County Sheriff’s Deputy, and worked for the Army Corps of Engineers on The Dalles Dam for twenty years. Michael married Dorothy (Dotty) Lucille Moseley in 1993, in Reno, Nevada. He was a member of The Dalles Eagles and the Celilo Bowmen, and was an Oregon hunter safety instructor.

Michael was an avid hunter and outdoorsman and worked to conserve hunting and those traditions for families to utilize the outdoors while keeping the animals and the environment healthy. He enjoyed bow hunting, fishing, boating, camping, and wood working. In keeping with his love of the outdoors, Michael also enjoyed astronomy: He always had his telescopes at hand and liked sharing his knowledge of astronomy with others – kids or adults. Moreover, he loved space shows and movies – especially Star Trek, Star Wars, and Stargate – and shared all the information he obtained from watching programs like Nova and reading everything he found.

Michael was in his element when surrounded by family and friends and could tell stories for hours at a time. He was always willing to share his things and ideas and was available to help anyone anytime. Michael was a big John Wayne fan and considered his beliefs and movies to be indicative of an honorable way to live.

Michael is survived by his wife of 14 years, Dotty Graves of The Dalles; daughters, Michelle Lee Graves of Farmington, Missouri, Shannon Graves Howard and her husband Gary of Cape Girardeau, Missouri; stepsons, Scott D. Vawter and his wife Jennifer of Portland, Christopher F. Vawter of Thailand; grandchildren, Cali Reeves, Dylan Graves, Bailey Vawter, David Vawter, Kate Howard, Jack Vawter; brother, Leon Graves and his wife Dannie of Bakersfield, California; sister, Joyce Graves Upshaw and her husband Dub Upshaw of Sutherlin, Oregon; mother-in-law, Betty Moseley of Bakersfield, California; brothers-in-law and their wives, Jim and Kim, Bill and Tonia, and Gene and Michelle Moseley; sister-in-law, Cindy Schmidt; 13 nieces, 7 nephews, 3 great nieces, and 6 great nephews.

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