Grau, Genevieve 1925-2013

NASH, GRAU, HANSON

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, volunteer (email)
Date: 6/2/2013 at 18:25:11

Sioux City Journal
May 5, 2013

LE MARS, Iowa | Genevieve Grau, 87, of Le Mars passed away Thursday, May 2, 2013, at Floyd Valley Hospital in Le Mars.

Services will be 10:30 a.m. Monday at Grace Lutheran Church in Le Mars, with the Rev. Timothy Geitz officiating. Interment will be in Resthaven Memory Gardens Cemetery, rural Le Mars. Visitation will be after 5 p.m. today, followed by a 7 p.m. prayer service, at Carlsen Funeral Home in Le Mars. Visitation will continue 9:30 a.m. Monday until service time at the church.

Genevieve Isabel Nash was born Oct. 1, 1925, in Adrian, Minn., to Oscar and Jenny (Hanson) Nash. Gen attended country school near her home and later graduated from Adrian High School in 1942. Following high school, she continued her education by attending Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D., studying art and music.

Gen was united in marriage to Bernard Grau on June 18, 1950, in Luverne, Minn. The couple lived in Ireton, Iowa, for a few years, where Gen taught music at the Ireton school for a couple of years. In 1956, the couple moved to Le Mars, and Gen began her career with the Le Mars Community School District teaching art. She retired from teaching full-time in 1988, but continued as a substitute until 2004.

Gen was always very community-minded. She volunteered her art skills with the Le Mars Arts Council for many years and served as president of the Arts Council for several years. She also volunteered with the Le Mars Historical Preservation Society and Life Skill Training Center. Gen was a longtime member of Grace Lutheran Church where she volunteered extensively, sharing her artistic skills painting murals, and refurbishing the Christmas decorations as needed. She also volunteered with Vacation Bible School for several years helping to create hundreds of ceramic Nativity sets.

Survivors include her two children, Muriel Miller and her husband, Richard Miller and Howard Grau, all of Le Mars; three grandchildren, Sonya Allen of Le Mars, and her son, Ryan, Brant Miller of Plano, Texas, and Justin Miller of Omaha; a brother, John Nash and his wife, Janice of Minneapolis, Minn.; two sisters-in-law, Connie Nash of Luverne, Minn., and Margaret Grau of Littleton, Colo.; and several nieces and nephews.

Genevieve was preceded in death by her parents, Oscar and Jenny (Hanson) Nash; her husband, Bernard on Jan. 4, 1995; a brother, Carl Nash; two brothers-in-law, Elwood Grau and Robert Grau and his wife, Phyllis.