Charles Graden Obituary, Death – On December 8, 2022, Charles E. Graden, better known to most people as “Chuck,” passed away unexpectedly at the age of 76. His wife, Marinel, was by his side when he took his last breath. Chuck was born on April 15, 1946, and had lived in Nokomis for the entirety of his life. He was raised on the family farm in Audubon Township with his three elder brothers, Gerald, Dennis, and Dave. He was born in Hillsboro to Gilbert and Louise Graden, and he and his siblings spent their childhood there. In 1964, Chuck wed Jean Ann Pieper, and she passed away three years before he did, in 1967.
Chuck was a four-year starter for the football team at Nokomis High School, where he earned his diploma in 1964. Additionally, he surpassed his brother Dave’s record for the most solo tackles made in a game with his performance. After that, he became involved in the coaching of the Nokomis football team for the next 20 years, spending several of those years alongside his brother Dave. In 1969, Chuck made the decision to join the Illinois State Police and he has never looked back. The majority of his professional life was spent working at District 18 in Litchfield. Chuck found great fulfillment in his roles as a Trooper, People Information Officer, and Juvenile Officer serving the general public.
As a Field Training Officer, he was responsible for the training of many troopers, and he worked for 17 years in the Illinois State Fairs. After 30 years of service, he reached the rank of Master Sergeant before retiring. Chuck Locke was united in marriage to Marinel on July 3, 1990. They moved to the Graden Family Farm in 1993, and it was there that they spent the majority of their time together as a married couple.
Chuck had a lot of fun working on his farm for the ten years after he retired from it. Chuck was the kind of person who never met a stranger, and he was always up for a good joke or prank. The most important thing in his life was his family, and he cherished quality time spent with his offspring and grandchildren. Chuck is survived by his wife, Marinel; his children, Todd Graden and companion, Kerri Germann of Owaneco.
Toni and Mark Spainhour of Arcola; Susan Graden of Nokomis; Matthew and Karen Graden of Stanford; stepchildren, Carl DeVard III of New Orleans, Louisiana; Joshua and Lauren DeVard of Fort Worth, Texas; Sterling and Cori Anne DeVard of South Jordan, Utah; Jordan Devard and companion, Hanna Cousins of Los Angeles, California
His parents and three brothers, Dave, Dennis, and Gerald, all passed away in 2021 before Chuck did. Chuck was the youngest of the four brothers.