Doris Mae McGraw

Mass of Christian Burial for Doris McGraw, age 93, of Milaca, will be held Monday, December 11, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. at Saint Louis Catholic Church in Foreston with Father James Remmerswaal officiating. Visitation will be held from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Sunday, December 10 at the Peterson-Johnson Funeral Home in Milaca and 1 hour prior to the service at the church on Monday. Interment will take place in the church cemetery.

Doris Mae Church was born May 23, 1924 in Mozart, Saskatchewan to Everett and Eleanor (Dressel) Church, the second of four children. She was baptized at the Church of England in Mozart. When Doris was six months old, they moved to Hutchinson, MN and she attended Hutchinson schools until 9^th grade, when they moved to Foreston. Doris graduated from Milaca High School 1942. She attended Naeve Hospital School of Nursing and graduated as a Registered Nurse in 1946. She started her nursing career immediately at the Memorial Hospital in Milaca.

She married the love of her life, Bernard McGraw on November 5, 1947. To this union, six children were born. Her surviving children are: Charlotte (Steve) Geis of Longville, Roger McGraw (best friend, Roberta Schmolke) of Little Falls, Joanne Engwer of Otsego, Neil (Kimberly) McGraw of American Falls, ID and Debra Barnes of International Falls. Doris worked as a nurse at Milaca Area Hospital until 1985.   She ended her nursing career working at Milaca Elim Home from 1985 – 1988, when she retired.

After retirement, she worked as a part-time private duty nurse for four years for a woman awaiting a heart transplant. Doris developed a very special relationship with her until her death. Doris also was a hospice volunteer for fifteen years and volunteered at the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Milaca. She was a prayer group leader, CCD teacher, lector, Eucharistic Minister, member of the Christian mothers and choir member at her church, St. Louis Catholic Church in Foreston.

Doris and Bernard loved to travel and took many trips on bus tours with friends. They lived in Lake Havasau, AZ for three months every winter for six years and enjoyed meeting up with old and new friends!

She was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Bernard in 2005; her parents, Everett and Eleanor; three sisters, Irma Kunst Wedell, Gladys Church and Lucille Dougherty; grandson, Christopher Steven Geis and her precious son, Tim McGraw.

“Cookie Grandma”, as she is best known, is survived by five children; 24 grandchildren; 32 great-grandchildren, along with several step-grandchildren and step-great-grandchildren; brother, Duane (Mary) Church of River Falls, WI; daughter-in-law, Sandy McGraw of Foreston; also by many nieces, nephews and good friends.