Ron Gruver, 72

Ronald L. Gruver, 72, of Lynnville passed away June 18, 2014, at Grinnell Regional Medical Center. Funeral services  were held Monday, June 23, at Sully First Reformed Church. Interment was in Sully Cemetery. Memorials have been designated for Grinnell Regional Hospice or Sully Fire and Ambulance. Ronald Leo Gruver was born June 27, 1941, in Emmetsburg. He was the youngest of seven children born to Charles and Gladys (Rubel) Gruver. He grew up in Emmetsburg where he also attended school. After school, Ron worked various jobs before moving to Grinnell in 1968 to work for Martin’s OK Tire Shop where he later met Eileen during a service call. On Sept. 5, 1969, Ron was united in marriage to Eileen Brand at the Sully First Reformed Church. Following their marriage, they lived in Grinnell before moving to their current home north of Sully on the old Van Roekel farm, Eileen’s grandparents’ farmstead. To this union, they were blessed with three sons. For over 20 years, Ron was an over-the-road semi driver for Universe Truck Lines of Omaha, NE, and other trucking companies until his August 1995 diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease, which cut his career short. He was an avid Elvis Presley fan who enjoyed his extensive collection of memorabilia and enjoyed listening to the Gaither vocal band with Eileen. Also, he enjoyed his multiple rose garden and peony bushes that he spent many hours grooming and caring for. Lastly, Ron enjoyed traveling with Eileen to visit his family in Arizona, Washington, and around the Midwest. Ron created many memories attending his children and later grandchildren’s church activities, music concerts, plays, track meets, and other sporting activities until he was physically unable. In his spare time, he enjoyed fishing with friends and going out for drives around the countryside. In all of the things that made Ron happy, time with his family was what truly filled his life with joy. Ron was a member of the Sully First Reformed Church where he attended until his health failed. Those left to cherish his memory are his wife, Eileen Gruver of Lynnville; his three sons: Michael (April) Gruver of Pella, Timothy (Karri) Gruver of Plainfield, IL, and Douglas (Janise) Gruver of Sully; his seven grandchildren: Brittany, Gabrielle, Jacob, Abigail, Quinn, James, and Drake Gruver; his brothers: Robert Gruver of Winterset and Don (Jean) Gruver of Adel; his sister: Cleo Crawford of Mesa, AZ; his sister-in-law, Alberta Gruver of Algona; his half-brothers, Charles Jr. (Loraine) Gruver of Woodland, WA, and Richard (Cheryl) Henrich of Emmetsburg; and his half-sister, Shirley (Joe) Roberts of St. Louis Park, MN. Ron was preceded in death by his parents; his brothers, Kenny, John, and Duane Gruver; his sister-in-law, Lavonne Gruver; his half sister, Maria Schild; and his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Roscoe and Wilma Brand.

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