# Martin Graber > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Martin_Graber > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Martin_Graber.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Graber > Source revision: 1353701749 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American politician (1952–2025)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | image = Martin Graber.jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2023 | office = Member of the [Iowa House of Representatives](/source/Iowa_House_of_Representatives) | party = [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) | successor = [Blaine Watkins](/source/Blaine_Watkins) | constituency = {{ubl|[83rd district](/source/Iowa's_83rd_House_of_Representatives_district) (2021–2023)|[100th district](/source/Iowa's_100th_House_of_Representatives_district) (2023–2025)}} | predecessor = [Jeff Kurtz](/source/Jeff_Kurtz) | term_end = January 31, 2025 | term_start = January 10, 2021 | birth_date = {{birth date|1952|6|3}} | birth_place = [Donnellson, Iowa](/source/Donnellson%2C_Iowa), U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2025|1|31|1952|6|3}} | death_place = [Fort Madison, Iowa](/source/Fort_Madison%2C_Iowa), U.S. | spouse = Coni Graber | children = 2 | alma_mater = {{plainlist| * [University of Iowa](/source/University_of_Iowa) (BBA) * [St. Ambrose University](/source/St._Ambrose_University) (MBA) * [United States Army War College](/source/United_States_Army_War_College) (MSS)}} | allegiance = United States | branch = [Iowa National Guard](/source/Iowa_National_Guard) | rank = [Brigadier General](/source/Brigadier_General) }} '''Martin L. Graber''' (June 3, 1952 – January 31, 2025) was an American politician who was a [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) member of the [Iowa House of Representatives](/source/Iowa_House_of_Representatives) from 2021 until his death. Formerly serving district 83, he was servinglegis.iowa.gov [District 100](/source/Iowa_House_of_Representatives%2C_District_100) at the time of his death. ==Education and early career== Graber was born on June 3, 1952, in [Donnellson, Iowa](/source/Donnellson%2C_Iowa).{{cite web|url=https://www.kinglynk.com/obituaries/Martin-L-Graber?obId=35191152|title=Martin L. Graber|work=King-Lynk Funeral Home|date=February 2, 2025}} He was raised there and attended [Central Lee High School](/source/Central_Lee_High_School). He earned a degree in business administration at the [University of Iowa](/source/University_of_Iowa), and completed a master's degree in business at [St. Ambrose University](/source/St._Ambrose_University) in 1987, followed by a master's degree in strategic studies at the [United States Army War College](/source/United_States_Army_War_College) in 2002. Graber served 32 years in the [National Guard](/source/National_Guard_(United_States)), retiring with the rank of brigadier general within the [Iowa National Guard](/source/Iowa_National_Guard). During [Operation Desert Storm](/source/Operation_Desert_Storm), Graber was deployed to Germany. At other times during his military career, he served with the 224th Engineer Battalion and at [Camp Dodge](/source/Camp_Dodge).{{cite news |last1=Vandenberg |first1=Chuck |title=Graber, Kurtz ramp up campaigns as absentee voting nears |url=https://www.pencitycurrent.com/2020/09/29/graber-kurtz-ramp-up-campaigns-as-absentee-voting-nears/ |access-date=June 24, 2021 |work=Pen City Current |date=September 29, 2020}} From 1980 to 1991, Graber was a manager within the human resources department of the [Dial Corporation](/source/Dial_Corporation). From 1991, he worked for Ameriprise Financial Service in [Fort Madison, Iowa](/source/Fort_Madison%2C_Iowa), as a financial adviser. ==Political career== At the time of his first state legislative campaign in 2020, Graber was still working for Amerprise, and was serving his second term as chair of the [Lee County](/source/Lee_County%2C_Iowa) Republican Party.{{cite news |last1=Delany |first1=Robin |title=Graber says it's time to put a conservative in the House seat |url=http://www.mississippivalleypublishing.com/daily_gate/graber-says-its-time-to-put-a-conservative-in-the-house-seat/article_28295328-eb88-5949-8d2a-348f79fe252e.html |access-date=June 24, 2021 |work=Daily Gate City |date=October 14, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Delany |first1=Robin |title=Martin Graber seeks election to Iowa House |url=http://www.mississippivalleypublishing.com/daily_gate/martin-graber-seeks-election-to-iowa-house/article_5d5f545f-cc8f-5013-af34-4db674f235e9.html |access-date=June 24, 2021 |date=March 12, 2020}} Graber filed for the [Republican](/source/Republican_Party_(United_States)) nomination for [District 83](/source/Iowa_House_of_Representatives%2C_District_83) of the [Iowa House of Representatives](/source/Iowa_House_of_Representatives) in March 2020, and defeated incumbent legislator [Jeff Kurtz](/source/Jeff_Kurtz) in the November 2020 general elections.{{cite news |last1=Sammann |first1=Blake |title=Graber and Kurtz square off in 83rd district race |url=https://wgem.com/2020/10/27/graber-and-kurtz-square-off-in-83rd-district-race/ |access-date=June 24, 2021 |publisher=WGEM |date=October 27, 2020}}{{cite news |last1=Roberts |first1=Jim |title=Graber unseats Kurtz from Iowa's 83rd district |url=https://wgem.com/2020/11/04/graber-unseats-kurtz-from-iowas-83rd-district/ |access-date=June 24, 2021 |publisher=WGEM |date=November 4, 2020}} ==Personal life and death== Graber and his wife, Coni, had two children.{{cite news|url = https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2025/01/31/martin-graber-dies-unexpectedly-at-72-iowa-state-rep/78098990007/|title = Republican Iowa state Rep. Martin Graber dies unexpectedly at 72|last = Gruber-Miller|first = Stephen|date = January 31, 2025|access-date = January 31, 2025|newspaper = [Des Moines Register](/source/Des_Moines_Register)}} He died in [Fort Madison, Iowa](/source/Fort_Madison%2C_Iowa), on January 31, 2025, at the age of 72. ==References== {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Graber, Martin}} Category:1952 births Category:2025 deaths Category:21st-century members of the Iowa General Assembly Category:Iowa National Guard personnel Category:People from Fort Madison, Iowa Category:Republican Party members of the Iowa House of Representatives Category:St. Ambrose University alumni Category:United States Army War College alumni Category:University of Iowa alumni --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Martin Graber](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Graber) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Graber?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.