Ralph “Pappy” Grau, Jr. died Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, at MercyOne Newton Medical Center in Newton. Pappy’s family will greet friends from 5-7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 21, at Wallace Family Funeral Home and Crematory in Newton. Inurnment will be held at the Iowa Veterans Cemetery at a later date. Memorials in Pappy’s name (please make checks payable to Ryan Foster) may be left at the funeral home.
The son of Betty (Boylan) and Ralph R. Grau, Sr., Pappy was born Mar. 18, 1945, in Glendale, CA.
He served his country in the U. S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.
Pappy was a production worker for Shelter Wood Windows for many years. He had also worked for Brookwood Inc. in Newton.
To know Pappy was to know a great man. He was always there to help anyone with anything, at any time. If you knew Pappy, you would know how much he loved his family and his Harleys. He loved working on and building Harleys.
He was preceded in death by his parents.
Those left to honor Pappy’s memory are his sons, Ryan (Renee) Foster of Sully, Cory Foster (Tina Van Zee) of Des Moines, and Justin (Erin) Foster of Indianola; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren; and his two dogs, Brownie and Kush.
