Life Legacy

Connie Beth Graves, 52, of Stillwater went to be with the Lord on April 22, 2015 with her loving family at her side. Services have been entrusted to the care of Palmer Marler Funeral Home and a service celebrating her life will be held on Tuesday April 28 at 2pm at the Sunnybrook Christian Church. Public visitation will be held from 8am to 8pm on Monday, April 27th and the family will greet friends at the funeral home from 6pm to 8pm on Monday evening.

Connie was born on June 1, 1962 in Enid, OK to J.R. and Patsy (Wood) Graves. When she was three years old her family relocated to Stillwater where Connie happily lived the next 49 years. She was a proud graduate of Stillwater’s C.E. Donart High School Class of 1980. After graduation, Connie began driving a taxi for her family’s transportation company. 1980 was also the year Connie met the love of her life and the father of her two sons, O’Neal Smith Jr. 

Connie and O’Neal welcomed the birth of their son Joshua Graves in 1987 and Isaiah Graves was born in 1995. In the late 1990’s, Connie realized her passion for taking care of others and in 1998 she enrolled in the CNA program at Northern Oklahoma College, where she specialized in treating patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Connie was employed at the Rosewood Nursing Home in Stillwater until suffering a disabling back injury. From that point on, Connie stayed home and raised her children and anyone else who needed parental guidance.

Connie Grave’s life revolved around her family. She was a true soccer mom who was both loved and feared by coaches and referee’s around central Oklahoma. She was an independent and strong-willed woman who valued honesty and personified selfless generosity. She was a longtime member of the Stillwater Moose Lodge and she enjoyed hunting, fishing, singing, watching OKC Thunder games, going to the casino, and taking road trips with her family. Connie had a strong faith and attended Southside Baptist Church for many years. 

Connie Graves lived life to the fullest and was always happy to put the needs of others before the needs of her own. She had a big heart and could always be counted on to give good advice. Her smile and unconditional love will live on through the lives of those she loved the most, her kids and grandkids. Connie Graves was a loving wife, a caring daughter, and a devoted mother and grandmother and she left an unmistakable mark upon the lives of many people. She will truly be missed.

Connie was preceded in death by her maternal and paternal grandparents, as well as a sister, Lisa Graves Anderson; daughter, Cristina Roberts; and her father, J.R. Graves. She is survived by her mother, Patsy Graves; husband and best friend, O’Neal Smith Jr; siblings, Debbie McIntyre and husband, Rick, Larry Graves and wife, Jac; ten children, Joshua and Isaiah Graves, Daniel, Necoal, Tiffany, and O’Neal Smith III, Chris Ewell, Angela Jones, Brian Keith Lewis, and Larcetta Murray. She is also survived by a host of grandchildren and other beloved family members.

The family requests that donations be made in Connie’s name to the American Cancer Society or the Alzheimer’s Association.

Condolences may be sent to the family via an online guestbook at www.pmcfh.com