John Max Grow, 81, died Saturday, July 17, 2010 at Iowa Methodist Medical Center. A Celebration of Life was held 10:30 am Thursday, July 22, at Dallas Center Church of the Brethren. Graveside services, with military honors, was held 2:30 pm Thursday at the Rippey Cemetery in Rippey, With Reverand Jason Grow, officiating.
Pastor Lois Grove, of the Church of the Brethren, officiated the services. The organist was Rhonda Keifer. There was congregational singing.
Honorary Bearers were Ellen Shank, Zoe Shank, Brian Smith, Madison Yeager, and Martin Yohn.
The casket bearers were Margie Braun, Brian Grow, Melissa Grow, Myschelle Grow, Jason Grow, Kelly Grow, Jennifer Lauer, and Kris McPherson.
The ushers were Ray Chartier, Charles Hooper, and Wilbur Sheets.
John was born June 23, 1929 on the 1869 family farm near Rippey, Iowa to Charles Lawrence and Esther Mae (Christensen) Grow. He attended Rippey Consolidated School, graduating in 1947. John graduated from Iowa State College in 1952 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Farm Operations. He married Marjorie Bryan on December 22, 1951 in Dawson, Iowa and three children were born to this union.
John served in the US Army from 1952 – 1954 in the 96th Field Artillery Battalion in Japan and Korea during the Korean Conflict. He farmed and raised hogs with his sons until 1995 and continued grain farming the rest of his life. John married Lorna Baldner on June 10, 1995. He was critically injured in an automobile accident with Lorna on March 17, 2010 in Kansas. John eventually returned home but subsequently died of complications related to the accident.
John was active in both the United Methodist Church of Rippey and the Dallas Center Church of the Brethren. He and Lorna were participants of the Children’s Disaster Services. John was active in the Dallas Center Rotary and Coffee Club, Fitness World West, and the Polka Club of Iowa. He was a 50-year member of the Rippey American Legion and Masonic Lodge. John loved traveling, telling jokes, politics, car racing, reading as well as ballroom and polka dancing. He enjoyed a lifetime of learning about the world around him and was able to find humor in any situation.
John is survived by his wife of 15 years, Lorna Baldner Grow; his children, Patricia (Steve) McPherson of Walker, and daughters, Margie (Darian)Braun of Washburn, and grandson, Barrett, and Kristen McPherson of Jefferson; Douglas (Pam) Grow of Rippey and children, Bryan (Tammi) Grow of Maryville, MO, and granddaughters, Bryna and Kora Sue, and Jason (Lindsey) Grow of Lexington, KY, and grandson Jaxon, and Kelly Grow of West Des Moines; and Jeffrey (Lori) Grow of Rippey and children, Jennifer (Brandon) Lauer of Perry and granddaughter Allie, and Myschelle Grow of Ottumwa, and Melissa Grow of Grand Junction; step daughters, Glenace Baldner Shank of Dallas Center and daughters, Madison (Kellen) Yeager of Steilacoom, WA, Ellen and Zoe Shank of Dallas Center, Diane Smith of Dallas, TX and son, Brian (Elisha) Smith of Gilbert, AZ and grandson Cory, and Ruth Baldner of Hillsboro, KS and son Martin Yohn of North Manchester, IN; and his sisters, Lucile (Perry) Reichlinger of York, NE, Ruth Kenney-Randolph of Johnston and Mary (Dwight) Rice of Loudon, TN. He was preceded in death by his parents.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Children’s Disaster Services, PO Box 188, New Windsor, MD 21776 or Fans of Lake Robbins, 26726 – 150th St., Woodward, Iowa, 50276.
ARRANGEMENTS BY ILES FUNERAL HOMES ~ BRANDT DALLAS CENTER CHAPEL.