James Henry Graves was born in Cherrystone, VA on October 12, 1939.
Monday, April 4, 2016, he was called home by the Lord and departed from life at his residence in Chesapeake, VA where he resided for the last three years of his life with his daughter, and son-in-law, Lisa & Michael Bradshaw.

James was the second child born to the late Maybelle Harris and Edward
William Graves. He attended Northampton County Public Schools. At an
early age, learned to drive a tractor and operate farm equipment on the Jones Farm—where he was born and raised. In the early 1960's, he accepted employment on the Long & Scott Farms. During seasonal work in Perrine, Florida with crew leader, John Miller, he met his love, the late Ella Mae Cleveland Graves. Upon completion of work in Fla., Ella Mae returned to Virginia with James. By the mid 1960s, James and Ella Mae began working for Thomas Long on the Long Farm where they also resided.

They were joined in Holy Matrimony on his 28th birthday, October 12, 1967, and together, they raised six children. They later relocated to Eastville, VA. on Simpkins Siding Road, where they spent many years together.

James was employed at Bayshore Concrete in Cape Charles, VA for a brief period of time before returning to what he loved best, Farming. From 1975 until he retired in 2012, he was employed with David Long at Long Grain & Livestock in Cape Charles, VA.

James was a firm believer in Jesus Christ. His early Christian experience began here at Ebenezer AME where he and Ella Mae had joined and were active members years ago. James served on the Trustee Board during his earlier years of being an active member of Ebenezer. He also was once an active member of the Masons.

James loved farming! He also enjoyed sports, especially baseball, and drag racing. Many weekends he'd join his brother, Theodore at Delmar Race Track. He also enjoyed playing cards. He had a good heart, always willing to help others, and he was a hard worker. He enjoyed family. He loved home cooked meals, good music, and the laughter of good friends and loved ones as he sat and told jokes and stories about the past. He often reminisced about his siblings and their childhood days. He was a great family historian. Very knowledgeable about our family tree, and enjoyed sharing all that he knew about our Family's Roots. He passed on an abundance of family history to his children and grandchildren about our Williams/Graves & Ferguson/Harris families. He stressed the importance of his children to acquire a good education. He'd often say, "No matter what type of job you do for a living, be the very best at it, no matter what it is."

James leaves to cherish his memory: five children: son, James Graves Jr. (Columbia, SC); daughter, Lisa Graves Bradshaw and one son-in-law-Michael (Chesapeake, VA); son, Cedric Graves (Baltimore, MD); daughter, Valerie Smith (Virginia Beach, VA); son, Alexander Cleve-land Sr.(Yvonne) (Townsend, VA), three brothers: Edward Graves Sr. (Treherneville, VA), Theodore Graves (Accomac, VA), Thomas Graves (Ethel Mae) (Newport News, VA), one sister: Beverly Graves-Davis (James Davis Sr.) Pungoteague, VA, one Aunt: Sally Graves (Philadelphia, PA), sixteen grandchildren: Stephanie, Alex Jr., Yshee-ma, Devon, Cedric, Taqiyya, Corey, Daniel, Malcolm, Cedrayah, Ber-nard, Renwick, David, Ronald, Jamesha, Alisia; Eight nieces:
Malissa, Gloria Ann, Annette, Rownite, Tammy, Pinkie, Jamie, Ja-nine; Five nephews: Marcus, Jason, Brian, Bobbie, Robbie; four great nieces, nine great nephews, one great great nephew, many cousins, and a host of other relatives and friends.