Son of Christian Graf and Louisa Schultz Graf;

LOVING HUSBAND AND BEST FRIEND TO LIZZY NETCHER GRAF;

Beloved Father to Sons Leo and LeRoy Graf and Daughters Pearl Graf Board, Marion Graf Snyder, Laura Graf Wallace, and Lucille Graf Debrey;

Very special and much-loved Grandfather to 8 Granddaughters and 6 Grandsons;

Precious Brother to Louisa Graf Pretsch Kerner, Bertha Graf Alwin and Charles, Herman and William Graf;

Dearly loved by all of his nieces, nephews and In-Laws.

Well respected by all who knew him.


BIO:

HENRY C. GRAF, a carpenter, married Elizabeth "Lizzy" Netcher in 1885 when he was 24 and she was 22. The previous year her sister, Barbara Netcher, had met and married Eugene Keller, also a carpenter. The Keller family owned the neighboring farm to the Graf's in Sumpter, Sauk County, Wisconsin. Soon after their marriage, Henry and Lizzy moved to Baraboo, near Sumpter, where they would spend the rest of their lives.

Their six children were all born in the house at 420 Maxwell Street that Henry built for Lizzy and their family in 1886. Henry also designed and built much of the furniture in their home. Lizzy was an expert seamstress and, as many women of the day also did, sewed most of her childrens' clothing. She loved music and they had a piano in the front parlor where their daughters practiced their lessons. That same piano remains a part of our family today, belonging to the children and grandchildren of youngest daughter Lucille Graf Debrey.

Henry and his brother-in-law, Augustus Netcher, owned "Graf and Netcher Carpenters & Builders" in Baraboo until 1900 when Augustus died. They built many of the houses in and around Sauk County; Henry and his eldest son, Leo, built Leo's house together, and Leo then joined the family business.

Lizzy and Henry's youngest son LeRoy brought his bride Hazel to live in the family home and they too raised their daughters in "The House that Henry Built".

*The house still stands today and the current owners have just completed restoring it to its original appearance.



The Following OBITUARY....from
"THE BARABOO NEWS REPUBLIC,
9 March 1936"

Henry C. Graf
Dies Sunday

Henry C. Graf, a resident of
Baraboo for half a century, died
Sunday morning at his home in
this city. He was aged 75 years
March 4th.
The Baraboo man had been ill
about two months following the
day that he accidentally dropped
a chunk of wood on his foot,
severely bruising it. Gangrene
had set in about two weeks ago
and he had been confined to bed
since.
Survivors include a family of
six children: Leo and LeRoy of
Baraboo, Mrs. William Board of
Adams, Wisconsin, Mrs. Carl H.
Wallace of Los Angeles, Calif.,
Mrs. H.W. Snyder of Atchison,
Kansas and Mrs. Michael Debrey
of Burlington, Iowa, the last
two named being expected to ar-
rive here this afternoon. Also
surviving are one sister, Mrs.
Fred Kerner, of Sauk Prairie,
a brother, Herman Graf, of
Prairie du Sauk and a number of
grandchildren. His wife preceed-
ed him in death, passing away in
1930.
A Masonic funeral service is to
be held Wednesday afternoon at 2
o"clock at the home at 420 Maxwell
Street. Interment will be in the
Baraboo Cemetery.