Richard D. Graham, son of Cleo and Pearl May (Hamilton) Graham, was born on December 13, 1940, in Westboro, Missouri. As a young boy, he attended the Homer Country School in rural Tarkio and then Tarkio, Missouri, Public Schools. On June 24, 1966, Richard was united in marriage to Ruth Ann Driskell in Tarkio. They made their home in the Tarkio and Westboro communities where they raised their six children. In 2001, Richard and Ruth Ann moved to Savannah, Missouri. He was a member of the Assembly of God Church and the former Church of God all of Tarkio. He passed away at his home in Village of Country Club on August 19, 2010, at the age of 69 years, surrounded by his children and grandchildren.

Richard was employed at Fairfax Manufacturing and then retired from Eaton Corporation, Shenandoah, Iowa in 1986. He was a lifelong musician and loved playing Country and Gospel Music. Richard played for many years in Tarkio and the surrounding areas, sharing his music with family and friends. He loved horses and started riding at an early age where he would ride herd with his dad, Cleo, on the Luckhardt Ranch. In his written memories, Richard said, “Horses were and still are a very favorite thing to me.”

Richard was known for his stories and always had a good tale to tell, writing several down a few years ago. In one story, he said, “On the farm, Mom always raised a lot of chickens for eggs and meat. One time, Junior and I were shooting them with BB guns to watch them run around in circles. This was until Mom caught us, and then it wasn’t so funny!”  In another story, he said, “Junior and I would sometimes get with the Hamilton boys and wind up in an old muddy pond or play cowboys and Indians which was always fun. We made homemade stilts or stick horses. Junior and I were coming home from one visit, riding double on a bike. He was peddling and I was riding on the front of him. I was carrying a stick about 3 feet long, dragging it along in the dirt. We were coming down a long hill going about as fast as a bike could, and I somehow got that stick in the front spoke. We first went air born awhile then tumbled and rolled. Junior pushed that old bike about another ¾ of a mile home with all the spokes about half gone and the frame all sprung. He didn’t even remember anything until we were almost home. We didn’t break any bones, which was a wonder, but we were sure peeled up and sore!”

Besides his parents, Richard was preceded in death by one granddaughter, Leigha Dix, and his special pet, Opie. He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Ruth Ann, of the home; four sons, Rick Graham of Rock Port, Missouri, Jeff Graham of St. Joseph, Missouri, Wes Graham and his wife, Sharon, of Auburn, NE, John Graham and his wife, Jeannie, of Amazonia, Missouri; two daughters, Leasia Dix and her husband, Rodney, of Petersburg, Virginia, Rhonda Hall and her husband, LeRoy, of Village of Country Club; 17 grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; three brothers, Robert Graham, Shenandoah, Iowa, Cleo, Jr., Graham, Tarkio, Jerry Graham, Wymore, Nebraska; three sisters, Pat Riley and her husband, Bill, Tarkio, Beverley Walker and her husband, Larry, Fairfax, Missouri and Mary Jo Vance of Tarkio.

Funeral Services:
10:30 a.m., Tuesday, August 24, 2010, Assembly of God Church, Tarkio.
Interment: Home Cemetery, Home Cemetery Tarkio
Family Visitation: 7:00-8:00 p.m. Monday, August 23, 2010, Davis Funeral Home, Tarkio.
Memorials: Kendallwood Hospice, St. Joseph, Missouri.
Online condolences and obituary at www.minterfuneralchapels.com.
Services: Davis Funeral Home, Tarkio.