RALPH R. GRAMS

Ralph R. Grams Jan. 29, 1931 - Oct. 19, 2014 SOUTH BEND - Ralph R. Grams, born Jan. 29, 1931, in South Bend, Indiana, passed away Oct. 19, 2014, in his home in Apache Junction, Arizona. He is preceded in death by his loving wife, Dorothy (Walters), who passed away August 15, 2012. The high school sweethearts, who married in South Bend on July 28, 1951, recently celebrated their 61st anniversary.

A lifelong banker, avid golfer and bridge player, he dedicated his life to his family, work and church.

As a graduate of Central High School, South Bend (1949), where he just attended his 65th reunion, he began a career in banking at First Bank and Trust in South Bend.

A veteran, he served in the U.S. Navy 1952-1959. The family moved to Bloomington, Indiana, where he earned a bachelor's degree in business from Indiana University (1966). The couple and six children moved to White Bear Lake, Minnesota, where he served as a vice president at American National Bank, then Commercial State Bank, both in St. Paul, for nearly a decade.

The couple and three of their children moved back to Indiana (1974), living in Long Beach, when he took a position at First Merchants Bank in Michigan City. A member of Long Beach Country Club, he was active in a number of community groups including a committee for the election of President Ronald Reagan. The couple moved to Ashley, North Dakota (1982), where he worked at McIntosh County Bank until they retired to Green Valley, Arizona, in 1995. There they were parishioners at Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church, where he served as business manager for nearly a decade. He retired again in 2013 and moved with his loyal pet Mickey to Apache Junction.

He is survived by a sister, Geraldine Solomon of Los Gatos, California; six children, Linda Longlet (Tom) of Red Wing, Minnesota, Kathy Scheuffele (Quentin) of Menomonie, Wisconsin, Judy Bibeau (Don) of Mahtomedi, Minnesota, Diane Grams (Tim Lace) of Michigan City, Michael Grams (Melissa) of Gold Canyon, Arizona, and Janet Grams of Pebble Beach, California, 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

He is preceded in death by his parents, Alex and Priscilla (Wroblewski) Grams; a brother, Irving Grams; three children and one great-grandchild all of whom died at birth.

Family and friends are gathering for a memorial celebration of the lives of both Ralph and Dorothy at 2 p.m. Eastern on Saturday, Nov. 8, 2014, at the chapel at St. Joseph Valley Memorial Park, 375 W. Cleveland Road, Granger, IN 46530 (574-272-6971). Graveside service will follow. Memorial donations may be made to the American Red Cross.

Published by South Bend Tribune on Oct. 26, 2014.

01/22/2023 EJS