William and Marie Graves Monument

William and Marie Graves joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1911 in Oakland, California. Marie was a dressmaker and William was a Pullman Porter and later a janitor. Marie remained a faithful member of the Oakland Branch to her death in 1930 at age 52. William continued to attend Church after her death, until he passed in 1940, at age 80.

The Graves are buried in Evergreen Cemetery. Marie has a headstone, but William had no marker. In 2018, prompted by inspiring research by historians Ardis Parshall and Paul Reeve, members of the Oakland First Ward started digging deeper in the Graves story. We learned of their monthly testimonies in fast meetings; of Marie’s love for the hymn “Guide Us, Oh Thou Great Jehovah;” of Marie’s faithful response to a troubling visit to an LDS congregation in Atlanta; of Marie’s steady contribution to the charitable funds of the Relief Society; of William’s generous financial bequest to the Oakland Ward; and of his final request to be buried in white. As Nancy Criddle stated, “The more we learn, the more the Graves’ lives of faith are carved not only on the vessel of the ward but in our hearts.” Ultimately, generous members of the Oakland First Ward, the broader Oakland Stake, and other supporters, donated funds for the creation and installation of a monument honoring the Graves and their legacy.

On April 16, 2019, the monument to the Graves was installed at Evergreen Cemetery. On May 25, 2019, the monument was dedicated by Bishop Michael King of the Oakland Ninth Ward.