Lorenzen, Grover

Grover Lorenzen, 90, of Olin, died Sunday, Sept. 23, 2012, at his home. Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, at the Olin Community United Methodist Church, Olin. Visitation will be from 5 to 7 p.m. today at Lahey Funeral Home in Olin. Burial will be in the Olin Cemetery, Olin.

Grover was born July 11, 1922, in Jones County, Iowa, the son of Louis and Margaret (Rohwedder) Lorenzen. He graduated from Olin High School in 1941. He was united in marriage to Mary Jo Miller on Aug. 7, 1943, in Anamosa. They had two children, Sandra and Garen.

Grover was involved in 4-H showing cattle throughout the Midwest. He had the Grand Champion calf at the Chicago Livestock Exchange in 1942 and won Grand Champion in the 4-H Calf Club contests at the Jones County Fair an 4-H Steer Show in 1942.

Grover was in business with his father, Louis and brother, Virtus for many years doing business as Louis Lorenzen and Sons. They owned and operated several acres south of Olin and a farm near Wyoming. He was a member of the Jones County Cattlemen's Association for many years, where he was president in 1970 and inducted into the Jones County Cattlemen's Hall of Fame in 1998.

He enjoyed golfing and in 1989 won the Iowa Seniors (65-69 years) Golf Championship tournament at Waterloo. He was a member of Fawn Creek Country Club in Anamosa until the last few years. In 1970 he was vice president of the Olin Telephone Board and for 38 years served on the board of directors resigning in 2005. Grover was also an avid Hawkeye and Cubs fan. Grover was a quiet man but loved his children and grandchildren and loved hearing about what they did. We will miss him deeply.

He is survived by his wife, Mary Jo Lorenzen of Olin; two children, Sandra (Roger) Stephen of Monticello and Garen (Pam) Lorenzen of Olin; five grandchildren, Patricia (Taylor) Alsenay of Tahlequah, Okla., R. Eric Hansen of Golden, Colo. Tara (Jim) Irwin, DeWitt, and Chad Lorenzen (and friend Sara), Lisbon, and Heather (Tom) Hefflefinger of Olin; eight great-grandchildren, Megan, Candace and Seth Alsenay, Katie, Kyle and Kyleen Irwin; Alyssa and Haley Hefflefinger; and a sister, Lois Fisher of Mount Vernon.

He was preceded in death by his parents; a sister, Helen Norton; and a brother, Virtus Lorenzen.

In lieu of flowers, the family request memorials be given to Hospice of Mercy, 315 18th Ave., Hiawatha, IA 52233.

Online condolences may be left for the family at .

Published in The Gazette Sept. 25, 2012.