Paul V. Grittman

Funeral Services will be held at 2:00 P.M. Thursday at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Glasco with Pastor Gerald Leaf officiating. Interment with military honors will be in the Glasco Cemetery. Memorials may be given to Solomon Valley Hospice or the Charity of the Donor's Choice. Friends may call from 9:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M. Wednesday at the McDonald Funeral Home.

Paul Vern Grittman, 96, of Simpson, was released from a lengthy illness Monday afternoon, November 14, 2005 at the Nicol Home in Glasco, Kansas. In addition to his parents, Paul was preceded in death by his wife of 75 years Dorothea A. (Horn) Grittman on August 12, 2004. Paul is survived by three daughters Billie J. Crowe of Shawnee, Oklahoma, Betty Schneider and husband Loren of Beverly, Kansas, Brenda J. Fairchild and husband Mike of Wichita Falls, Texas; nine grandchildren, twenty-one great grandchildren and nine great-great grandchildren. In addition, Paul is survived by one sister Roshia Bell Snook of Klamath Falls, Oregon, one brother John P. Grittman, Jr. of Eldorado, Ohio, and many friends.
Paul lived in the Glasco and Simpson area all of his life, graduating from Glasco High School. He was a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Glasco. In his early years, he worked as a farm laborer, then for many years as a crane operator and foreman, building roads and stone bridges for the Mitchell County Transportation Department. He helped build many of the stone bridges found in Mitchell County.
Paul was very patriotic, served his nation proudly as soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, he voluntarily enlisted for service in the United States Navy. During his career, he served as a Seabee, building roads, airstrips, and boat docks. Paul had a wealth of stories to tell of his time in service on several islands in the South Pacific. He was honorably discharged at the end of the war.
For many years, Paul was Postmaster at the Simpson Post office and retired from the U.S. Postal Service. He took up farming as a hobby and it grew into a full time job after his retirement. Paul loved farming but had other interests as well including rock hunting, jewelry making (from the rocks), arrowhead and artifact hunting, traveling, and photography.
Paul was very civic minded and believed that a person should "give back" to his community. He served as Treasurer of the Mitchell County Hospital Board for many years, he was active in the Mitchell County Historical Society, holding offices and acting as Curator and Administrator for a number of years. In addition, he was a member of the Masonic Lodge, Order of the Eastern Star, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, and also as a volunteer fireman for the Simpson Fire Department until his health required him to give up many of the things he enjoyed.