Michael "Ike" Graves

MICHAEL EDWARD GRAVES, aka IKE, was born on February 6, 1960 to Edward and Deloris (Jepsen) Graves in Pipestone, MN. He was baptized and confirmed at Trinity Lutheran Church in Jasper. Mike attended school in Jasper graduating with the class of 1978. Mike was a hard worker early on beginning with Ev’s Feed Mill Service driving the feed grinder before he even had a driver’s license. Shhh -- I think that is a secret yet. He was barely tall enough to see over the steering wheel. When he was 12, he overhauled his first engine with a little help from his dad. He always had a passion for cars and pickups. He owned and operated Ike’s Repair in Jasper until recently, when cars and trucks became computerized. He was proud to say he even overhauled a truck engine his dad had previously owned with Graves Trucking. He enjoyed helping all his regular customers with their car needs, and did a good business repairing the old farm trucks to get a few more miles out of them. He also plowed snow in the winter.

Ike had a passion for mud racing and was a member of the SWMMRA. “Spooky” was his pride and joy. He had a room full of trophies from his wins. It was his niece and nephew’s job to dust them when they came to visit. He developed many friends mud racing who he still was in contact with. Ike always had a passion for big cars. Jas-Tek Limo filled that passion for Ike. He enjoyed the short stint he had with the Jas-Tek business venture with his sister, Linda. Everything from Red Carpet to fancy glasses and a shine that wouldn’t quit on his white car. Mike was a big guy with an even bigger soft heart. He was a great care giver for his mother in the last couple years of her life. He had a softness in his heart for his cats too. He treated Bigfoot and Squeak like dogs, teaching them to fetch and retrieve.

Ike had spent time traveling with his brother-in-law, Allen, for Altec Engineering, installing well heads in Illinois, Virginia and Georgia, beginning in 2006. Al said he was even a Certified Coal Miner. Ike had recently been driving for Bisson Farms on a Missouri route three times per week. After experiencing some health issues the past couple weeks, he passed away of natural causes at his home the morning of May 22, 2017 at the age of 57 years, three months and 16 days.

Ike had a brotherly bond with his good friends: Wayne Holt, Rick Meyer, John DeSchepper, Jay Eggerud, Gary Damman, Kurt Jandle, Greg Swenson, Jeff Leslie, Dennis Houg, Lloyd VandenBussche, Patrick Sneller, RJ Falk, and Pete Luehmann. They were always there for each other through thick and thin.

Mike is survived by his sisters, Linda Tobias, Slayton, MN and Janice (Allen) Paulson, Buffalo, MN; his niece, Nicolle (Scott) Rasmusson, Sioux Falls, SD; his nephew, Bruce Paulson, Maple Grove, MN; and his special friend, Vicki VanHulzen and “Brewster” of Luverne, MN. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eddie and Deloris Graves; brother-in-law, Russ Tobias; his grandparents, Erna and Chris Jepsen and Cora and George Graves.