Funeral services for 96-year-old Garland “Gar” George Grunig of Madelia, Minnesota, will be held at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning, August 29, 2015, at Trinity Lutheran Church in Madelia. The church is located at 406 West Main Street.
Interment will be in the church cemetery, located at West Watonwan County Highway #3 in rural Madelia.
Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, August 28, 2015 at the Sturm Funeral Home-Pilgrim Chapel in Madelia, located at 303 East Main Street. A second visitation will be held at the church the day of the funeral service from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Garland George Grunig, known as “Gar,” the son of Jacob and Ethel (Geuther) Grunig, was born on May 19, 1919 in Cherokee, Iowa. His family farmed in the Comfrey, Minnesota and Darfur, Minnesota areas when he was a small child. He attended school until 8th grade in Butterfield, Minnesota.
In March 1941, he enlisted in the United States Army and served with the 1258th Combat Engineering Battalion, Third Army under General George S. Patton in the European Campaign. He was awarded the Silver Star for his heroic actions while on patrol, saving one of his men while being pinned down by the Nazis. He was discharged on October 25, 1945.
After his discharge, he returned home where he was employed by Ziebarth Motors in St. James, Minnesota.
On February 3, 1946, he married Merlys Mae Wolle at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in St. James. Gar and Merlys farmed in the Huntley, Minnesota area for a year and then in Truman, Minnesota. In 1956, the family moved to Madelia, where Gar was employed as parts manager for John Deere Implement, parts manager for Soreide Peterson Motors and then Anderson Chevrolet of St. James.
Gar then decided to become self-employed as a painter and carpenter. In his retirement years he was employed at the Lutheran Memorial Home in Madelia.
Gar was a member of VFW and the American Legion. Throughout his life he was Captain in the Civil Air Patrol for many years, a Boy Scout Leader, and President of the PTA (Parent/Teachers Association). He was a member of the Trinity Lutheran Church for 58 years where he served on the church council, treasurer of the church council, and on the cemetery board. Gar was the caretaker of the cemetery for 35 plus years.
He enjoyed hobbies such as competing in horseshoes with the Madelia Horseshoe Club. He loved fishing, woodworking projects and helping local farmers with field work in the spring and fall.
His family includes children, Gayle Tangen and husband Darrell of Savage, Minnesota, Gary Grunig of Madelia, Marlene Grunig of Thief River Falls, Minnesota and daughter-in-law, Valerie Grunig of Madelia; grandchildren, Laurie Hoscheid Rengel, Jeffrey Hoscheid and wife Michelle, Gregory Grunig and wife Becky, Jennifer Grunig, Jason Anderson and wife Kimberly, Kristen Grunig and Ryan Grunig; 14 great-grandchildren, Katharine and John Garland Rengel, Madison Novy-Hoscheid, Dylan and Derek Hoscheid, Brandon Grunig, Ty and Sadie Nelson and Jacob Roberts, Carter and Drew Anderson, Brielle Misson and Derek Gappa, and Ryleigh Grunig; a brother, Bill Grunig and wife Eulalie Ann, six nephews and five nieces.
Gar was preceded in death by his wife. Merlys; his son Bryan Grunig; a grandson, Jacob Grunig; his parents, Jacob and Ethel Grunig; in-laws Robert and Ella (Rono) Wolle; sisters and brothers-in-law, LaDonna and Ronald Jenkins and Lois and Milford Hoppe; nephew, Tim Hoppe and niece, Suzanne Hoppe.