Rev. Harold K. Gronstal

1932 - 2015

Reverend Harold K. Gronstal, 83, of Grand Island, Nebraska, formerly of Kearney, Nebraska, died Saturday, October 10, 2015, at Country House Residences in Grand Island, with his family at his side.

Funeral services will be at 10:30 a.m., Friday, October 16, 2015, at First Lutheran Church in Kearney. Reverend Rebecca Craig will officiate. Burial will be at 2:30 p.m., Friday at the East Cemetery in Eustis, Nebraska, with Kathy Gundell officiating. Visitation will be from 5-7 p.m., Thursday at O'Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney and will continue one hour prior to service time at the church.

Memorials are suggested to Lutheran World Relief or the Alzheimer's Association. Condolences may be shared with the family online at www.osrfh.com.

Harold Knute Gronstal was born on August 8, 1932, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, to Joseph and Elvira (Hoff) Gronstal. He grew up in Treynor, Iowa, where he was baptized and confirmed in the Christian faith at St Paul Lutheran Church. Harold graduated from Treynor High School in 1950. He then attended Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa. Following graduation he entered Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa.

He was united in marriage to Edith Voss on June 2, 1956. The couple lived in Houston, Texas, for Harold's year of internship and in Dubuque, Iowa for his final year of seminary. In 1958 Harold was ordained at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Treynor, Iowa.

Following graduation from seminary Harold accepted a call to American Lutheran Church in Adams, Nebraska, where he and Edith lived for six years. Subsequent calls were to Abiding Savior Lutheran in Independence, Missouri, for 12 years and St. John Lutheran in Eustis, Nebraska, for 17 years. In 1994 they moved to Kearney where they became members of First Lutheran Church and spent their retirement years. Mrs. Gronstal preceded him in death on December 16, 2009. Harold moved to Country House Residence in Grand Island in February of 2015.

Harold was a member of First Lutheran Church in Kearney where he was active in HATS (Helping Another To Smile) and the Sunrise Group. He loved every aspect of his ministry and always looked forward to visiting and praying with those who were homebound, residents of nursing homes or hospitalized. He continued his call to serve the Lord in his retirement years, serving as interim and supply pastor at several Nebraska churches. He also enjoyed fishing, reading, traveling with Edith and gardening. Throughout the years one of his greatest joys was caring for his rose garden and sharing the fruits of his labor with family and friends alike.

Harold is survived by three daughters and their spouses; Laura and Gary Buehner of Kearney, Kathryn and John Keller of Eustis, and Jane and Jay Blake of Plymouth, MN; grandchildren, Angela (Patrick) McKee, Christopher (Lindsay) Buehner, Amanda (Andy Barner) Buehner, Bryant Keller, Leah Keller, Ashley (Craig Jaynes) Blake and Kathryn Blake; a brother Bob (Janice) Gronstal of Gastonia, NC; and brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Donald (Lois) Voss of St. Joseph, MO and Virgil (Dorothy) Voss of Abbeville, SC.

He is also survived by several nieces, nephews, friends, neighbors and his compassionate caregivers at Country House Residences.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, a grandson, Patrick Blake, and an infant sister, Joan Rachel Gronstal.