Tara Ann (Patterson) McGraw, age 42, of Elmira, passed away on Thursday, April 13, 2023. She was the loving wife and mother of two children.
Tara was born on July 4, 1980, in St. Petersburg, FL to Robert “Dennis” and Susan Carol (Sheffer) Patterson.
She dropped out of high school in her sophomore year but later went back and achieved her GED.
On April 7, 2000, in Grayling Michigan, Tara was married to her husband James Erin-Earl McGraw Jr., and dedicated the majority of her life as a stay at home mom. She was the key to raising her two children; daughter, Sara Carol McGraw; and son, James “JT” Ervin-Earl McGraw III.
After 14 years of raising children, Tara went back to work as a sales associate at the Alba Easy Mart, in the small town of Alba where she and her family lived.
Tara enjoyed the simple thingsin life, puzzles, internet games and needle point. She loved anything related to the ocean, mainly because of her childhood in Florida. The ocean life she enjoyed most was either sharks or dolphins. She would get really excited for Shark week.
Tara had a smile that would light up any room.
Tara is survived by her husband, James “Jim” McGraw Jr.; and two children, Sara McGraw, and James “JT” McGraw III, all of Alba, Michigan; her parents, Robert “Dennis” and Susan Patterson of Hudson, Florida; sister, Tiffany (Tim) Decker; and many aunts, uncles, nephews, and one niece.
Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 21, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. from the Nelson Funeral Home.
Visitation will be held at the Nelson Funeral Home on Thursday, April 20, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. and on Friday, April 21, 2023, from 10:00 a.m. until the time of services.
Following the service, interment will be held at Star Township Cemetery, and a luncheon will be provided at the Star Township Firehall. Visitors are welcome to bring a dish to share, but is not required.
Memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society online at https://donate.cancer.org.
Arrangements were entrusted to Nelson Funeral Home and Cremation Service, P.O. Box 1548, Gaylord, MI 49734.
2 comments on “Tara Ann McGraw”
I am very sad to hear about the passing of my niece, Tara. She was a lovely, fun-loving woman. I haven’t seen her in a long time, but we have kept in touch through facebook messages, facebook, and Christmas cards. I am praying her family will find comfort in their sweet memories and in their faith. Rest In Peace, Tara.
Tara is my beloved niece. She was especially dear to me as I had no children. She greatly enriched my life with joy from the time of her birth until she moved away from Florida at age 18, to my great loss. She was one of the sweetest children I have ever known and is a beautiful and loving person.
Besides her family, the many things Tara loved in this life include animals, gardening, poetry, and reading. She was very talented as a swimmer, dancer, and embroiderer. She made me an embroidered mantel scarf that is absolutely exquisite.
I am heart-sickened by the fact that Tara’s children are the same ages that Tara’s father and I were when we lost our mother, the grandmother that Tara never knew in life. I hope Sara, JT, and Jim find some consolation in knowing that they someday will be reunited with Tara in a better time and place and that Tara now is with others who also love her.