Grandstaff, Gene A. 1924-2005

GRANDSTAFF, PROCTOR, HOLDSWORTH, NIKKEL, SIGMUND, SPARKS, KOGER, HARTER, CURRY

Posted By: Marilyn Holmes (email)
Date: 2/22/2010 at 09:26:12

The Grinnell Herald-Register (Grinnell, Iowa) April 7, 2005

GENE A. GRANDSTAFF

Gene A. Grandstaff, 81, of Indianola died Monday, April 4, 2005, at Good Samaritan Center in Indianola.

Graveside services will be held Friday, April 8, at 12:30 p.m. at Hazelwood Cemetery, Grinnell. Visitation will be held Thursday, April 7, from 2 to 8 p.m. at Overton Funeral Home in Indianola with family members present from 6 to 8 p.m. Memorials may be made to the Alzheimer's Unit at Good Samaritan Home.

He was born Jan. 18, 1924, in Sydney, the son of William and Winifred Proctor Grandstaff. He graduated from Grinnell High School in 1941. During World war II he served in the United States Naval Air Force in the South Pacific. He married Pauline Holdsworth in 1947. He began with the United Food Market in 1946, working in the Grinnell, Newton and Marengo stores after which he managed the Oskaloosa United Food Market for many years before becoming a supervisor in 1960 and transferring to West Des Moines. He also owned Super Value stores in Montezuma, Toldeo and Indianola. During his career in the grocery business, he received many awards for excellence. After retiring from the grocery business, he sold farm real estate for Hawkeye Bank Corp. In 1984 he opened Gene's Truck and Van Conversion in Indianola.

He was a past worthy patron of Eastern Star, a past member of the Masonic Lodge, American Legion, V.F.W. and ZaGaZig Shrine. He enjoyed golf, fishing, hunting and gardening.

He is survived by his wife Pauline of Indianola; five children, Connie Nikkel of Grinnell, Jeanne Sigmund of Carlisle, Mark Grandstaff of Indianola, Mary Sparks of Ankeny and Brian Grandstaff of Chubbuck, Idaho; seven grandchildren; three sisters Claudine Koger of Raynesford, Mont., Shirlee Harter of Montezuma and Mary Curry of Deep River, and one brother Ronald Grandstaff of Oskaloosa.