Sitkan Marie C. McGraw Dies in Oregon at Age 93

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Category: Obituaries

Created on Wednesday, 20 January 2021 16:10

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Marie Cecilia McGraw

With great sadness, the family of Marie Cecilia McGraw has announced her passing of respiratory failure on January 13, 2021 in Corvallis, Oregon, at the age of 93.  She was the matriarch of the McGraw family.

Marie was born in Sitka, Alaska, on December 15, 1927, to Nicholas and Cecilia (Peterson) Trierschield.

She lived in Sitka until she was 89. While visiting her daughter, she lost the ability to walk, and remained in Lebanon, Oregon, near Michele until her death. Even though she lived in Oregon for the last four years, she still insisted she was a resident of Alaska, because Sitka was her home.

Marie graduated from Sitka High School (the old Etolin Street School) in 1945, one of eight in her graduating class. She married Dormand McGraw on February 9, 1946, in Sitka where they raised their five sons and one daughter.

Together, Marie and Dorm owned and operated various businesses over the years, including: Reliable Transfer, Sitka Builders Supply and McGraw’s Hardware.  She was also the bookkeeper for her brother and his son, Charles Trierschield Jr., who owned the Sitka Bazaar.  Marie actually worked at the original Sitka Bazaar, owned by her maternal grandmother, Marie Peterson, when she was young.

Marie enjoyed spending time with her family and friends; weekends at the “Silver Bay Cabin”; and rides from one end of town to the other.

She loved Christmas, usually left her decorations up for two months, and wore the same Christmas sweater for many years. Whenever it was someone’s birthday, family or friends, Marie would play her “birthday bear” for the recipient.  (That bear got a good workout!)

Marie was preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 61 years; sons Robert McGraw and Michael McGraw Sr.; grandsons Timothy McGraw and Dormand McGraw III; and brother, Charles Trierschield Sr.

Marie is survived by her daughter-in-law, Toni McGraw, of Sitka; sons Dormand McGraw Jr. (Kathy) of Pahrump, Nevada, and Charles McGraw Sr. (Nancy) and Jonathan McGraw Sr. (Cindy) of Sitka; and her daughter, Michele Burd (Tim) of Lebanon, Oregon.

She has one surviving sister, Nicolina Sherlock, of Nevada.  Many friends were considered and treated like family.

Marie is also survived by 12 grandchildren: Nicholas (Jenn), Jenna, Sheila, Michael (Tina), Shiloh Sparks (Brad), Charles Jr., Chad (Lisa), Christopher (Jessica), Jonathan Jr., Mitchell, Joshua Sr., and Amanda Burd.  She is survived by 20 great-grandchildren:  Stephen, Shawn, Monique, Dakota Sparks, Carter Sparks, Madison, Alec, Jackson, Caleb (Sara), MacKenzie, Jagr, Landon, Cadance, Colton, Olyvia, Hunter, Rowan, Maile, Faith, and Joshua Jr.  Marie has one great-great grandson, Hudson.

A service and celebration of life will be held at a later date.  Marie will be laid to rest next to her husband in Sitka National Cemetery.