John L. Graves was raised on a homestead north of Hardtner, Kansas, in
  Barber County. He is one of six children of George L. Graves and Zella
  (Blunk) Graves.
     My dad (John) entered the Air Force in 1941, serving for 3 years over-
  seas in France and England, as Chief Welder in Service Group on bombers 
  and fighter planes. While overseas he was injured by an explosion on a plane 
  and recuperated in a hospital in France for several months. There he met my
  mother, Yvonne Herduin; they were married in 1945. Mom has five sisters and
  one brother living in France.
     My brother, George, was born in Busigny, France, in 1946. After mom and
  dad returned to Hardtner, my second brother, Jack, was born in 1947, at
  Achenbach Memorial Hospital in Hardtner. I was born in 1950, the first girl
  in our family and was named Yvette - after my mother's sister. In 1954,
  Colette joined her two brothers and sister, where we all lived north of
  Hardtner.
     Today John and Yvonne still live on the same home place near Hardtner,
  where they raise cattle and horses and also farm.
     George was married, May 1973, to Diana Torgerson of California; they have
  two children - Stacy Dawn, 3 years, and Dusty, 1 1/2 years. They live in
  Hardtner where George is the manager of Garvey Elevators, and Diana has her
  own beauty shop, Diana's Beauty Boutique.
     After Jack returned from the Viet Nam War, he worked for Dad for several
  years; now he lives in Enid, Oklahoma, working at Vance Air Force Base as
  head mechanic on fighter planes. While in the Army, Jack received training
  as a mechanic on helicopters.
     I (Yvette) married Bruce Papon of Fredonia, Kansas, March 1973; we are
  also living in Hardtner. We have a little boy, Shawn, who was two years old
  in December. Bruce is a professional rodeo clown and bullfighter in the
  Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association; we travel throughout the U.S. and
  Canada to different rodeos. I barrel race professionally  in the Girl's
  Rodeo Association.
     Colette married Troy Baier of Medicine Lodge, May 1978; they too, live
  in Hardtner. Colette trains barrel racing horses at Dad's arena in the winter
  months; during the rest of the seasons she runs barrels professionally in 
  the Girl's Rodeo Association. For four years Colette has been in the top 15
  contestants qualifying for the National Finals Rodeo in Oklahoma City; she
  almost went again in 1978. Troy goes with Colette to most rodeos; in the
  winter he works for ranchers in this area.
                 
     Source:Chosen Land - Barber County, Kansas,  pg. 200 
     Submitted by: Yvette Graves Papon