Rolland John McGraw, 83, of Franklin

Rolland “Rollie” McGraw, 83, of Franklin, died peacefully on the Feast of St. Michael, Monday, Sept. 29, 2014.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Thursday, Oct. 2, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Franklin.
Military honors followed the service at the church. Burial was held Thursday at Credit River Cemetery, rural Prior Lake.
Rolland “Rollie” John McGraw was born April 3, 1931, to Albert John and Ida Westphal McGraw in Hutchinson. Also born April 3, 1931, was Rollie McGraw’s twin brother, Robert “Bob” McGraw, who died July 13, 2014. Rollie McGraw was the younger of the two boys.
He was an excellent athlete, participating in basketball, baseball and football at Stewart High School in Stewart. Both Rollie and Bob McGraw enlisted in the U.S. Navy after graduating from high school, attending boot camp in Great Lakes, Ill. Rollie McGraw was a Navy medic at the Boston Chelsea Navy Hospital. Both McGraws served on the USS Tanner and the USS Tidewater, and were in New York, Puerto Rico, Greenland, Cuba and the Virgin Islands until 1954. After leaving the Navy, Rollie McGraw began his career with the United States Postal Service in Stewart.
In 1962, he married Anna Rosemary Hanrehan at St. Michael’s Church in Prior Lake. They celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in Prior Lake in 2012. They had six children, Meg, Mary Kate (Pat), Theresa (Paul), Roseann (Jeff), Michael (Shanon) and Elizabeth (Matt). Mr. McGraw especially loved his 19 grandchildren, Clare, Thomas, Andrew, Matthew, Maryanne and Theresa Larson, John “J.P.” McGraw Kost, Philip, Annemarie and Cecilia Jensen, Jack and Gabrielle Izen, Isabel and Sarah McGraw, and Felicity, Anastasia, Edith, Gemma and Marcella Sutton.
Mr. McGraw became the postmaster of Franklin in 1973, where he worked until he retired in 1999. He was interested in the history of Ben Franklin — who was the first postmaster of the United States — and was well known for his portrayal of Ben Franklin, appearing in the Catfish Derby Days parade as well as numerous other festivals and parades.
Mr. McGraw was named “Postmaster of the Year” in 1998. He was very active in the Lions Club, serving as its president for two years. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus 3rd Degree, joining in 1957. He was on the board of directors of the Renville County Historical Society and was a proud member of the American Legion for over 50 years.
Mr. McGraw as known for and will be remembered for his knowledge and passion for gardening, healthy eating, attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, his Irish wit and devout Catholic faith. He was into organic food and antioxidants decades before they became mainstream.
Mr. McGraw was a devoted husband, father and grandfather, and will be missed by many.