Roland E. Gross

Roland E. Gross, 65, of Fountain Hills, Arizona died suddenly Thursday, June 24, 2004 in Scottsdale, Arizona. A funeral will be held at 10:30 a.m. Monday, June 28, at the First Baptist Church in Fountain Hills with Rev. Barry Berger, Rev. Todd Knock and Kendahl Gross officiating. A solo, "Come to Jesus" will be by Kathi Gross. Visitation will be Sunday, June 27, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. A celebration service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, July 1, at Grinnell Christian Church; 1331 Hobart; in Grinnell, Iowa with Pastor John Epperson officiating and Kendahl Gross giving the eulogy. Burial will be at Hazelwood Cemetery. Visitation hours are from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, June 30 at Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell, Iowa. An identical twin, he was born Nov. 22, 1938, the son of Clarence and Amy Lillian Gross who farmed in Newberg, Iowa. After graduating from Newberg High School, he attended American Technical School in Des Moines and Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. He served with the United States Army from Nov. 17, 1958 to Feb. 20, 1962, receiving Honorable Discharge. He married Effie Alean Groves on Dec. 23, 1960 in Grinnell while home on leave. They were married 43 years. He spent most of his life in the Des Moines area and worked as an electrician and then electrical contractor in his own business, Gross Electric Company. For a time, he and his family worked as missionaries for the late evangelist Lester Roloff in Zapata, Texas. He and his wife, Effie, moved to Arizona in 1990 where he continued his business in Fountain Hills. He served as an elder in his church and taught Sunday school for many years. Since moving to Arizona, he actively participated in a Messianic ministry. In 2003, fulfilling a lifetime desire, he visited the Holy Land. For the past year, he enjoyed teaching a weekly Jewish Roots of Christianity class for the community. A recent highlight of his life was meeting President George W. Bush at the Iowa State Fair in 2002. He is survived by his wife, Effie of Fountain Hills; one daughter, Mynita Boll and her husband, James Boll of Fountain Hills, two sons: Kendahl Gross and his wife, Kathi, and Jonathan Gross and his wife Camile, all of Fountain Hills. Eight grandchildren: Isaac, Elias, Hannah, and Jesse Gross, and Keith, Serraya and Ashlee Boll, and Weston Hartzell; three brothers: the late Richard Gross, his twin, Ronald Gross of Pella, Iowa and David Gross of Sanford, NC and one sister the late Glorianne Perry of Sanford, NC. The family suggest memorial contributions be given to the Christian Jew Foundation Ministries, P.O. Box 345, San Antonio, Texas, 78292-0345.