Richard Gramowski

Richard “Jim” Gramowski, age 78, of Carroll, Iowa, died Wednesday, December 24, 2008, at St. Anthony Nursing Home in Carroll. Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 1 P.M., Saturday, December 27, 2008, at St. Lawrence Church in Carroll. The Celebrant will be Father Timothy Schott. Lector will be Greg Odendahl. Gift Bearers will be Megan Gramowski, Daniel Gramowski, Peyton Gramowski, Paige Gramowski, Morgan Gramowski, Melissa Odendahl, Jessica Odendahl, and Cassondra Selonke. Mass Servers will be Liz Yawarsky, Alyson Forbes, and Jake Gute. Eucharistic Ministers will be Ed Murphy, Marilyn Foley, and Arlene Dalhoff. Casket Bearers will be Dean Gramowski, Bruce Gramowski, Dale Gramowski, Corey Gramowski, Greg Odendahl, David Selonke, and Jerry Blum. Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Carroll with military honors conducted by the Carroll American Legion. Friends may call at the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll after 3:30 P.M. Friday. A rosary will be prayed at 4 P.M. Friday by the Carroll Knights of Columbus. There will be a Christian wake service at 7:30 P.M. Friday by St. Lawrence Parish. Memorials may be left at the funeral home or church for St. Lawrence Parish or the Kuemper Catholic Schools Foundation. Mr. Gramowski was born on September 3, 1930, at St. Joseph, Missouri, the son of Anthony and Louise (Ciepolowski) Gramowski. At a young age his family moved to Wisconsin where he graduated from Menasha High School in 1948. He entered the U.S. Air Force in October 1948 and was honorably discharged in August 1952. He then served in the Air Force Reserve and Army Reserve until 1977. On June 30, 1951, he was married to Arlene Wyman at Offut Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, with Father Stanley Powers officiating. Following military service he received a Bachelor’s Degree from Iowa State University and did post graduate work at Illinois State University and Drake University. He was employed by Swift and Company, Honegger Farms in Forrest, Illinois, and FS Services, moving to Carroll in 1974. Since living in Carroll he was employed as Carroll County Sanitarian, was a rural mail carrier, taught vocational agriculture at DMACC, and as a side line operated the Lidderdale Tavern from 1975 to 1977. He was a member of St. Lawrence Parish, Iowa State University Alumni Association, Carroll V.F.W., and Carroll American Legion serving as Post Commander in 1961 and 1963. Mr. Gramowsi enjoyed his family, woodworking, fishing, cooking, the Green Bay Packers, and the Chicago Cubs. Survivors include his children, Dean Gramowski and his wife Deb of Glidden, Brian Gramowski of Champagne, Illinois, Diane Odendahl and her husband John of Carroll, Bruce Gramowski of Carlisle, and Dale Gramowski and his wife Renee of Boone; eleven grandchildren; four great grandchildren; a sister, Marie Sparhawk of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisc.; and sister and brother-in-law, Irene and Louis Boxrz of Seattle, Washington. He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Arlene Gramowski, in March 2005; a sister, Frances Stanke; and a brother, Dr. Walter Gramowski.

Richard Gramowski

September 3, 1930 - December 24, 2008