Lawrence Gritzmacher

Lawrence W. Gritzmacher, age 89 of Sauk Centre, died peacefully surrounded by his family Thursday, October 25, 2007 at St. Michael's Nursing Home in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, October 29 at Zion Lutheran Church in Sauk Centre. Rev. Marty Porter will officiate with inurnment following in Greenwood Cemetery.

Friends may call one hour prior to the service Monday at the church.

Lawrence Gritzmacher was born May 30, 1918 in Sauk Centre, Minnesota to John and Helen (Botz) Gritzmacher. He was a life long resident of Sauk Centre. He completed the eighth grade curriculum at age ten and began farming. On September 15, 1949 he married Alice Betow at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Unity, south of Sauk Centre. He sold the farm in 1958 and moved to Sauk Centre. He had been employed at Sauk Centre Recapping for ten years, delivered fuel oil for Skelly Oil, and then worked at Kraft Foods in Melrose for ten years. He was also a school bus driver for Sauk Centre Public Schools for many years. He retired in 1980.Lawrence was a life long member of Zion Lutheran Church, where he served as an usher and was the Financial Secretary for 24 years. He enjoyed fishing, bowling, card playing, and gardening.

Survivors include his wife, Alice Gritzmacher of Sauk Centre; two children, Hal (Sharon) Gritzmacher of Bemidji and Paula (Gary McVey) Gritzmacher of St. Paul; two granddaughters, Leslie (Sam) Johnson of Woodbury and Amy Long of St. Paul; two great grandsons, Ty and Cade Johnson; brother, Laurel (Irene) Gritzmacher of Rancho Cordova, California.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Lester, Paul, Norman, and Henry Gritzmacher; sister, Cecelia Ceynar.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Zion Lutheran Church.