Rhea Arlene Graves

Rhea Arlene Graves was born April 9, 1936, to Guy and Martha Griffith. She was born in White Oak, Oklahoma in the family home and was the youngest of 8 children. As a child, Rhea liked to tend the garden and can the fresh fruit and vegetables with her mother. Rhea was an all-star basketball player and the Salutatorian of the White Oak High School, class of 1954. At the age of 14, Rhea and her mother Martha made the decision to become saved and baptized. Rhea stated that “She just wanted to go with the crowd and as she matured, she struggled with her faith.” However, through dedication of prayer and studying the Bible she became closer to God again. She then decided to recommit herself to the Lord through prayer. Although she may have stumbled and struggled, as we all do, she always knew she was a child of God. Because of this, she knew she would meet her loved ones again in Heaven. Rhea’s faith and love led her to join the Craig County Baptist church. There she was a part of the choir, partook in crafts during vacation Bible school, and helped with the costumes for the Christmas programs. On March 1, 1968, Rhea met and married the love of her life, Duane. She and Duane lived in Pryor, Oklahoma until 1980. They then decided to move back to Rhea’s childhood home with their 7 children. Rhea loved to travel. She visited aunts in Washington State and sisters in Colorado. She also attended family vacations to Silver Dollar City and traveled all over Northeast Oklahoma to watch children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren play sports. On lazy weekends, if you could even call them that, you would find her enjoying many hobbies with family or friends. She could be found fishing with Duane, playing bingo, or going to garage sales to do her favorite activity, haggle someone for a better price. These were all things that Rhea was, but most of all she loved her family. Rhea loved to bring everyone together. She also loved to bake. Rhea would make about 50 pies or so that were ultimately fought over. Eventually it became an unspoken rule to hide your favorite one so that you got a piece. Gatherings that started out with 50 people would grow to 125 or more in just a matter of minutes. No matter if you called her Rhea, mom, ma, grandma, sister, mother-in-law, aunt, friend or neighbor, the moment you entered the door you were family. Rhea was preceded in death by her husband Duane, parents: Guy and Martha Griffith, sister: Mary Vaugh, sister: Helen Watkins, sister: Opal Bright, brother: Guy “Jack” Griffith, sister: Faye Dick, sister: Wilma Vaughn, sister: Florence Charles, brother: Edmond “Jake” Heard and many more numerous aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews. Rhea is survived by her children, Bud and Frona Potts of Big Cabin, Rick Potts of Claremore, Tim and Susan Potts of Grove, Patrick Potts of Claremore, Marty and Kelly Potts of Tulsa, Ben Graves of Vinita, Anjanette and George Wofford of Verdigris, 22 grandchildren, 42 great-grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. The Viewing will be held on Sunday, September 24th from 4:00 pm-7:00 pm. It will be at Luginbuel Funeral Home in Vinita, Oklahoma. Funeral Services will be at 2:00 pm on Monday, September 25th at the White Oak Baptist Church.