FATHER ‘WANTED BEST’ FOR FAMILY
Man dies changing tire on highway
Donations are pouring in for the common-law wife and baby of a young man killed while changing a tire on the Yellowhead Highway.
Tanner Graf, a Swift Current native who was working for a Lloydminster tire shop, was dispatched to help a motorist on Friday evening. Graf drove to a spot on Highway 16 near the town of Paynton, about 160 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon.
According to Maidstone RCMP, he was about to change a tire for the abandoned motorist when he was struck by a semi-trailer. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Traffic on Highway 16 was limited to one lane for much of Saturday.
Graf’s mother-in-law, Melissa White, described the young father as a hard-working and loving man who wanted to support his wife, 22-year-old Katelyn, and his four-month old daughter, Sadie.
“Tanner was an amazing individual,” she said on Sunday from Kentville, N.S. “He always made sure that his family came first.”
White said Graf “loved his job,” and was extremely dedicated to his work and to his family.
“He was a phenomenal father to Sadie and he loved everybody,” she said.
The death has been hard on everyone who knew Tanner, White said, but noted it has been especially hard on her daughter Katelyn, as her and Tanner had been together for roughly two years at the time of his death.
“Katelyn ... is just absolutely torn-apart,” she said. “She just wants to tell him one last time that she loves him.”
A donation page called “We have lost our hero” was set up to raise funds for Graf’s widow and daughter.
As of Sunday, more than $3,500 had been raised and White said she hopes the support helps her young daughter, now a single mother, raise and be there for her kids. Graf was also a stepfather to her two children, Hunter and Lily, aged five and three.
“I wanted to give her a little bit of reassurance that there are good people out there that will help her take this burden off of her shoulders for right now,” she said.
“He wanted the best for them,” she said of Graf. “Nothing but the best.”
Many who made donations left messages of condolences for the family.
“I knew him as an amazing and caring man who did his bit to change my life,” wrote Joshua Twa.
“Working with tanner IS one of the best experiences, Tanner truly is a hero I know how hard he worked to put a roof over his girl’s heads and warm meals in their bellies,” wrote Riley Conlon, who worked with Graf at Kal Tire in Lloydminster.
Conlon’s mother, Veronica, said in an interview Tanner was a generous friend and mentor to her son.
“He taught Riley a lot. Riley’s pretty broken up,” she said.
White said she wanted to thank everyone who has contributed to the GoFundMe page, as she said it’s helped her daughter to know, “there’s so many people out there that are there for her and Sadie.”
Kal Tire closed early Saturday, and a dispatcher said they weren’t taking calls.
RCMP issued a warning reminding the public “to use caution and slow down when passing vehicles that are parked on the side of the road.”
Members of the public who want to support Graf ’s family are encouraged to contribute funds through the GoFundMe page.