Royce H. Gramm

Royce H. Gramm, 87, of Sioux City passed away in the presence of his family Wednesday, Aug. 1, 2007.

Services will be 10 a.m. Saturday at the Rodney Congregational Church in Rodney, Iowa, with the Rev. Karen Hanke officiating. Burial will be in Grant Cemetery, with military rites conducted by the Leslie F. Seton Post 666. Visitation will be 4 to 8 p.m. today, with the family present 6 to 8 p.m., a prayer service at 7 p.m. followed by a Masonic service by the Attica Lodge 502, at Meyer Brothers Morningside Chapel. Condolences may be sent online at www.meyerbroschapels.com.

Royce was born Dec. 3, 1919, to Harold and Edith (Bauman) Gramm, in Mapleton, Iowa. He graduated from Mapleton High School in 1937.

He married Maxine Seitzinger on Feb. 7, 1942, in Inglewood, Calif. They celebrated 65 years of marriage in 2007. He worked at the Vegas Air Craft Factory in Burbank, Calif. before he was drafted into the U.S. Army Air Corps, where he served as a tail gunner instructor.

He was a life long farmer. He also was an inventor and created a patented piece of farm equipment. He also worked as an insurance salesman and district manager for the Farm Bureau and Blue Cross and Blue Shield, where he was named "Boss of the Year" before retiring in 1986.

He was active and sharp all of his life. He enjoyed farming and helping his son manage and maintain his properties. He especially loved the family dog, Repo. The couple lived in Sioux City and farmed land in Onawa, Iowa, which was recently converted into the Gramm Wetlands by the federal government. The couple spent many years wintering in Texas.

He was the president of the Monona County Farm Bureau and SCORE. He was a Boy Scout master. He also was a member of the Rodney school board, Sioux City Air Museum, First United Methodist Church of Hornick, Iowa and Morningside Masonic Lodge 615.

He is survived by his wife, Maxine M. Gramm; a son, Royce "Skip" (Jan) Gramm Jr. of Sioux City; a daughter, Marsha (Alan) Wiese of Tekamah, Neb.; four grandchildren, Amber (Wiese) Gibson, Heather (Wiese) Starr, Shannon Gramm and Tara Gramm; three great-grandchildren, Dillon and Hannah Gibson and Drake Starr; a sister, Nina Johnson; and a cousin, Norman (Sandy) Parker.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and a cousin, Dale Blankenhorn.

In lieu of flowers, memorials in Royce's name may be directed to the Rodney Congregational Church.