Obituary of Yvonne Marie Graves

Yvonne Graves, 90, peacefully went to be with the Lord on November 2, 2024, after a brief illness.

Born on August 15, 1934, at Mare Island in Vallejo, California, to Cecil Chase and Wilhelmina Delaca, Yvonne grew up with a heart full of kindness and a spirit of resilience. She met her first husband, Donald Ralston, in Southern California, and the two were married in 1951. They shared forty beautiful years together until his unexpected passing in 1991. In 1993, Yvonne found love once more with Leland “Lew” Graves, a longtime family friend who had also recently been widowed. Their marriage brought over 27 cherished years, until Lew’s passing in 2021.

Yvonne was a woman of many talents and passions. Her life was rich with varied pursuits: she worked as a keypunch operator, hair model, wedding cake designer and baker, wholesale clothes buyer, sales clerk, cashier, bookkeeper, retail store and executive secretary, church secretary, and doll maker. She even owned and operated two retail businesses of her own. Through each role, she brought warmth, creativity, and dedication.

Known for her friendly smile and joyful disposition, Yvonne made everyone feel like a friend. To her, no one was a stranger—she spread kindness freely, offering warm smiles and uplifting conversation to all she met.

Yvonne leaves behind her beloved daughter, Pamela Ralston; her son, Derek Ralston, and daughter-in-law Teresa; granddaughter Vanessa Kinney and husband Jared; and twin great-granddaughters, Thea and Ellison Kinney. She is also survived by her dear sister, Naomi Banter.

In her final years, Yvonne courageously faced Parkinson’s Disease, holding a constant prayer that a cure might one day be found. In lieu of flowers, she requested donations be made to the Parkinson’s Foundation at www.parkinson.org/donate, to further the hope of ending this difficult illness.

Yvonne will be laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery in Oroville, following a graveside service on November 18, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. Her memory and legacy of kindness will be cherished by all who knew her.

Arrangments entrusted to Oroville Funeral Home 530-533-0323.