Joseph P. Graber Biography


	This biography appears on pages 1194-1195 in "History of South 
	Dakota" by Doane Robinson, Vol. II (1904) and was scanned, 
	OCRed and edited by Maurice Krueger, mkrueger@iw.net.

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	JOSEPH P. GRABER, the able and popular superintendent of schools 
of Turner county, was born in Waldheim, Wolinska Gubernia, Russia, on 
the 18th of October, 1868, a son of Peter and Frances (Waltner) Graber, 
both of whom came of staunch German lineage. The parents of our subject 
emigrated to America in 1874, arriving in the new world in September of 
that year. They came forthwith to the territory of Dakota and the father 
filed entry on government land one mile south of the present town of 
Freeman, Hutchinson county, South Dakota, becoming one of the pioneer 
farmers and stock growers of this section and still residing on his old 
homestead, one of the honored and influential citizens of the county. 
His devoted wife died in 1879, and of their six children two are still 
living. 

	Joseph P. Graber has passed practically his entire life in South 
Dakota, being reared to the sturdy discipline of the pioneer farm and 
early beginning to assist in its work, in the meanwhile attending the 
public schools during the winter months and showing a distinctive 
predilection for study and a marked appreciation of the value of 
education, so that his ambition led him to carry forward his studies 
into the higher branches. He attended Yankton College and later was a 
student in the University of Dakota, at Mitchell, pursuing a normal 
course. He continued to work on the home farm during the summer seasons 
and attended school winters until the autumn of 1887, when he began 
teaching in his home district, receiving twenty-five dollars a month, 
and from that time forward his interest in educational work has never 
waned but has been manifested in an insistent and helpful way. He 
continued actively engaged in teaching for eight years, being employed 
in the country schools except the last three years of this period. For 
two years he was principal of the public schools of Freeman and for one 
year was assistant principal of the schools at Menno, Hutchinson county. 
In 1893 Mr. Graber purchased a farm in the western part of Turner county 
and was there engaged in agricultural pursuits until the autumn of 1896, 
when he was elected to the office of auditor of Turner county, serving 
two terms and with marked acceptability. On the 7th of January, 1901, he 
was appointed county superintendent of schools, and at the regular 
election in the following vear was chosen as his own successor in this 
responsible office, whose affairs he has administered with consummate 
discretion and ability, sparing no pains or effort in bringing the work 
of the schools up to the highest standard and having shown much 
executive tact in unifying and systematizing this work. Early in 1902 
Mr. Graber became prominently identified with the organization of the 
First National Bank of Freeman, of which he was made the first 
president, retaining this incumbency until January, 1903, when he 
retired, finding that his official duties as superintendent of schools 
demanded his undivided attention. In politics he has ever been staunchly 
arrayed in support of the principles of the Republican party. 

	On the 15th of November 1893, Mr. Graber was united in marriage to 
Miss Anna Waltner. of Childstown, this county. and they have four 
children, whose names are here given, with respective dates of birth: 
Edwin, October 31, 1894; Melvin Victor, June 4, 1897; Rex Edgar, April 
4, 1899, and Max, December 29, 19O1.