Samuel Traggott Graff 1889

Samuel Traggott Graff (my grandfather) was born in Cannonville, Utah, 31 Oct 1889 to John Jacob Graff of Rebstein, St. Gallen, Switzerland and Lucy May Bramall (Sometimes spelled Bramhall) of  Manchester, Lancashire, England. The name was originally spelled with only one "F" but was changed later when Jacob's generation came along.
My grandfather had 6 brothers and sisters and 3 half siblings. Lucy died when Grandpa was only 4 years old and the father, not being able to care for such a large family sent the children out to live with other people. Grandpa was raised by a woman names Smith. After Grandpa grew up and was back in the town of Cannonville, he became a sheep herder, owning around 300 head, and he was also the town barber for some time.
Grandpa met and married Mary Ethna Clark on 12 June 1912 in Cannonville. They had a son and a daughter, the son dying in infancy. The daughter being the mother of my cousin Sherril that I have talked about through the years. Mary died 2 years after her marriage on 10 March 1914. Grandpa married Martha Jane Henderson (MY grandmother) on 13 Oct. 1916 in Tropic Utah. They had 11 children, 2 of the 3 boys died in infancy. My mother Indra is the oldest and became the caretaker of the younger children when grandma became sick.  One day my grandfather picked up a boy he had hired to help him tend to the sheep and as they were going out to the sheep camp, grandpa told the boy he would pay him $15.00 a month and that he would charge him $20.00 a month for room and board and so at the end of the month the boy would owe grandpa $5.00. The boy not knowing that grandpa was teasing, told him he couldn't do that and grandpa said, he wouldn't charge him room and board if he did a good job. Grandpa loved to kid around. He was a great story teller. He was a strong man. When he worked at the C.C. Camp, he carried a pair of brass knuckles because the men working with him were from Kentucky and Ohio and they carried knives and guns. Grandpa told them the brass knuckles were for protection. Grandpa was a small man that stood only a little over 5 feet and some inches. He had been hurt on a horse when the horse threw him and dragged him several yards. He was bruised up and had a broken leg. He always stood a little crooked after that mostly due to a bad back. Grandpa was well loved by everyone and he was a great father and a wonderful grandfather.
Before Grandpa was married he liked to dress in flashy clothes and even wore make-up.
A story was told at one time by a man that worked for Grandpa. One day while the man was herding the sheep across the road a tourist from California came by and hit and killed several sheep. The tourist, not wanting to have a run in with the law told the man he would pay for the sheep and then be on his way. The man later told Grandpa what had happened and Grandpa, being the tease he was, told the worker he had broken the law by taking the money, but that Grandpa would help him cross the Colorado River into Arizona. His suggestion as to the way to avoid the law coming after him, they would turn the horse shoes on the horse backwards so the law would think the horse was coming back in their direction. Another time when Grandpa was teasing the Camp Cook, who had made a stew with "This and That" in it, asked the men how they liked the stew, Grandpa spoke up and said it would have been a good stew if he had had some cucumbers to put in it.
Grandpa endured alot of struggles in his life, having lost his sheep due to owing money to others but eventually built his herd back up. He was generous. He gave money and food to those in need as well as giving of himself. He provided transportation to and from hospitals. Grandpa had a great singing voice, maybe where my mother got her wonderful voice, Grandpa loved to sing lullabys to his children and grandchildren. He was a grateful person. Anyone that did anything for him he was thankful to them. He was a good dancer and loved to listen to the Radio program, The Lawrence Welk Show, because it was good music to dance to.
After my grandmother Martha died in 1942, Grandpa married Bertha Clarke, who had been his childhood sweetheart, but later parted ways with both of them failing in health. Grandpa went to Bountiful Utah to live but missed home to much so he came back to Cannonville where Johnny Palmer cared for him. When his health got worse, his daughter Mary came and took him to Kanab to live. One spring day Grandpa told Aunt Mary that come fall those leaves would cover his grave. He died that summer, 19 July 1966 in the Kanab hospital. He is buried in Cannonville where he spent most of his life, next to both of his beloved wives.
MY MEMORIES OF MY GRANDFATHER;
No more wonderful man ever lived on the earth as far as I was concerned. The love he showed to his grandchildren couldnt have been more caring and loving. He was always ready to help us, he would saddle the horse everytime we wanted to ride and then unsaddle them after we were done. He would send me to the store and always tell me I could have 25c to spend on myself. Seems like he sent me to the store everytime I went to see him. He had a wonderful old house on the south side of town that I loved. It had an upstairs with three really big rooms and one room had a large closet that we used to go play in. I used to spend my time there with my Aunt Shirley before she was married and after my mother died. I loved spending the night in that big old house and always wanted a house built like it. It had a long front porch and I always wanted a porch like it. We would sit on the banister for hours and talk, the town kids liked to go there and sit to talk. Grandpa had orchards with lots of different kinds of fruit. He had lots of friends, everyone loved him. He would take me out with him to the sheep herd and even let me help shear sheep which probably made it take longer to do. I do not ever remember him getting upset at anyone. I know my grandfather will be standing beside my mother  waiting for me when I pass through the veil and I can hardly wait to see them again. I hope its a while longer tho as I am enjoying life, at this time, at my old age of 69,(tomorrow).