LOREN GRAUNKE

Loren Graunke, age 89, passed away on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at the Valley VNA Assisted Living in Neenah following a lengthy illness.  Loren was born April 24, l928, in Neenah and grew up in Marinette, WI.   He played high school football, basketball, and ran track, graduating from Marinette High School in 1946.  He graduated from UW-Madison in l950 with a B.S. degree in Education-History intending to become a history teacher.  However, having a classification of 1A in the Draft and with elementary teaching positions being more available, he attended Oshkosh State College (UW-O) for one year to receive elementary certification, and was an upper elementary teacher in Fond du Lac for one year.  He was then drafted into the U.S. Army 1952-54, where he served as an instructor in the Meteorology Equipment Maintenance course of the Artillery School at Fort Sill, OK.  He returned to teach in Fond du Lac one year and began in the Neenah Schools in 1955 as a Gr. 6 teacher at Hoover School.

Loren earned his M.A. in School Administration from UW-Madison in l957, and served as Principal at Lincoln, Roosevelt, Clayton and Spring Road Schools, the latter for 21 years, in Neenah.  During his tenure at Spring Road, the school was awarded the U.S. Dept. of Education Excellence in Education award for the l985-86 school year.  He enjoyed being greeted ‘Hi Mr. Graunke' for the past 60 years when recognized around Neenah by former students and parents from the schools he served, as well as by former children attending Neenah Park Dept. playground programs during the many summers he worked as Playground Director early in his Neenah teaching career.

1957 was also the year he met and married Violet Bloom of Neenah on Dec. 28 at the First United Methodist Church in Neenah.  Loren cherished his family and was very proud of them.  We all loved and respected Loren who we deeply miss - he was always a gentleman.  He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Violet, of Neenah; daughters Gail (Michael) Nell of Middleton, WI, and Dawn (Charles) Moder of Oshkosh, WI; granddaughters Emily (Corey  Westover) Nell, Brooklyn, NY, Justine (Daniel) Herndon, and great grandson Torin Herndon, Rochester, MN, Colleen (Anjali Kumar) Nell, Washington DC, Whitney Moder, Oshkosh, WI, Hannah Nell, Nashville, TN, and Grace Nell, Minneapolis, MN;  sister Roberta Peterson, Marinette, WI; brother-in-law Arthur Antonissen, Woodbury, MN; sisters-in-law Valeria Cornwell, Appleton, and Virginia (Robert) Hass, Shawano; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Robert and Gertrude Graunke; his sister, Patricia Antonissen; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Howard and Valeria Bloom; and brothers-in-law Conrad Krantz, Dean Cornwell, and Darwin Peterson.

Loren and Violet have enjoyed a long retirement which provided time for him to indulge in his passion for stamp and postcard collecting which began at age 12.  Loren and Violet enjoyed almost daily bicycling for 40 years and were fortunate to travel extensively in 49 states and in many foreign countries.

The Funeral Service for Loren will be held at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 29, 2018 at First United Methodist Church, 108 W. Doty Avenue, Neenah with Rev. Rebecca Henry officiating.  Visitation will be held at the church from 2:00 p.m. until the hour of the service.  He will be laid to rest at Oak Hill Cemetery, Neenah.  In lieu of flowers, memorials are appreciated toward the Moder Family Special Education Scholarship through UW-Stout Foundation, Menomonie, WI, and to Valley VNA Memory Care, Neenah.

The family wishes to thank Dr. Steven Knaus for his medical care and guidance, the Valley VNA Assisted Living for the patient and comforting care Loren received in their facility, and also the excellent services provided by ThedaCare at Home.