Joe Graf

** VIDEO TRIBUTE CAN BE VIEWED BY CLICKING ON WEBLINK ABOVE ** Joe W. Graf, age 86 of Belle Fourche, died Friday April 11th, 2014 at his home. An open house visitation with the family present will be held 9:30am to 11am Tuesday April 15th, 2014 at Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche.  Inurnment will follow at 12 noon at Black Hills National Cemetery with military honors provided by the Belle Fourche Veterans Honor Guard. Memorials are preferred to the Belle Fourche Fire Department and the Black Hills Roundup Chutes for Charity. A celebration of Joe’s life will be also held at a later date. Joe W. Graf was born July 18, 1927 in Deadwood, South Dakota.  He was the son of John and Palma (Cochrun) Graf.  At the age of 17, before the end of World War II, and before getting his high school diploma, Joe joined the Merchant Marines and sailed the Pacific as the war came to an end.  Later, he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1946.  Afterwards he went to work in the oil fields of California.  He also became a “self-taught” water well driller.  After meeting her at a self service station, he later married Martha Cox on June 21, 1954 in Tijuana Mexico.  Drilling was a good line of work for Joe and it took him all over the world, including the states of CA, WY, MT, ND, AK, SD, and a trip to the country Turkey in 1958 where the family lived for more than 18 months.  In 1972 they settled in Belle Fourche where Joe continued operating Graf Drilling.  Joe will be remembered for his work ethic, his love of gardening, and his love of family.  He will be greatly missed. Joe is survived by his wife of almost 60 years, Martha of Belle Fourche; daughters, Sandy Bartsch of Atwood KS, Pam (Ken) Hansen of Fruitdale, Deniece White of Santa Barbara CA; 9 grandchildren, Mike McLaughlin, Tammy Brown, Connie Brown, Brad Louder, Megan Anderson, Josey Bartsch, Clinton Hansen, Kelly Hansen, Wyatt Hansen; 16 great grandchildren; 2 great great grandchildren; and his sister, June Alldredge of Santa Maria CA.  He is also survived by his life-long family member, LeRoy Brown. He was preceded in death by his parents; and two daughters, Vicki Hansen and Vicki Graff.