Mary Frances Navarre DeGraff

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Obituary- DeGraff, Frances

Rossville's Oldest Lady Died Sunday

Mrs. Frances DeGraff, widow of the late John DeGraff, died at 1:10 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 18, at the advanced age of 89 years and 13 days, after an illness of about three days. Her death was caused by bronchial pneumonia which developed following a severe cold.

Mrs. DeGraff, with her husband and family was one of the pioneer settlers of Rossville township, coming here in 1866. She was one of the allottees of the lands given to the Pottawatomie Indians in Rossville township, which at that time was in the Pottawatomie reservation before it was diminished to the present boundary. And at the time of her death she was still in possession of her land, the only allottee remaining from the original reservation.

Mrs. DeGraff was born near South Bend, Ind., the daughter of Pater F. Navarre. During her residence of 55 years in Rossville township she had gone thru all the hardships of the first settlers and raised a large family.

She is survived by six children, four sons -- Isadore, of Shawnee, Okla., George, of Holton, Kans., Joseph and William of Rossville; and two daughters, Mrs. Ben Mileham, of Topeka and Miss Frances of the home address.

Funeral services were held Tues. morning, Sept. 20, at 9:30 in the Catholic church at St. Marys and internment made in the St. Marys cemetery.