Graydon was born at
Independence, Jackson Co., Missouri, on 27 August 1909. He married
Dorothy Hall at
Sault Ste. Marie, Mackinac Co., Michigan, on 13 March 1934. Graydon Casper Essman died on 31 March 2003 at
Augusta, Richmond Co., Georgia, at age 93. He was New Tag Obituary from the 2 Arpil 2003 St. Joseph New Press On-line:
"Brig. Gen. Graydon Essman
1909-2003
ROSWELL, Ga. — Brig. Gen. Graydon Essman, U.S. Army retired, age 93, of Roswell, a former St. Joseph, Mo., resident, passed away at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Augusta, Ga., on Monday, March 31, 2003.
Mr. Essman was born Aug. 27, 1909, in Independence, Mo. He grew up in St. Joseph, graduating from Central High School in 1927. After completing pre-medical courses at the University of Missouri, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated with the Class of 1933.
His military career included wartime and peacetime experience. During World War II, he served in the China-Burma-India Theater under Lord Mountbatten, returning to England just prior to the invasion of Europe to serve on Eisenhower’s D-Day planning staff. On D-Day, he took a regiment onto Utah Beach and was subsequently wounded. During this action, he was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Purple Heart.
In peacetime, he was educated at the National War College and at Stanford University, where he earned M.S., M.A. and M.B.A. degrees. He served as military attache to Great Britain and was commanding general of two Army posts.
Following his retirement from the military, he joined Sybron Corporation in Rochester, N.Y., where he eventually became the senior vice-president in charge of their international operations. During this time, he made over 50 round-the-world trips.
He retired to Williamsburg, Va. In retirement, he served on the state Republican committee and was on the board of the graduate business school of the College of William and Mary.
For the past 10 years, he and his wife, Dorothy lived with their son in Roswell. His wife died Dec. 12, 2001.
Mr. Essman is survived by three children, six grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Arrangements in St. Joseph are by Heaton-Bowman-Smith & Sidenfaden Chapel."
On 3 April 2003 at
St. Joseph, Buchanan Co., Missouri.