Obituary for John F. Grabber
John F. Grabber, 94, of Umbarger, passed away on Wednesday, January 13, 2021. Services will be at 2:00 on Saturday, January 16, 2021 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Umbarger with Father Grant Spinhirne officiating. Rosary will be held at 7:00 P.M. on Friday, January 15, 2021 at Brooks Chapel in Canyon. Burial will be in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery in Umbarger.
John was born on March 10, 1926 at home in Carson County, Texas to Frank and Clara Grabber and joined three sisters. The family grew to 11 siblings, Mary, Margaret, Florence, John, Leona, Lillian, Teresa, Eugene, Bernard, Bernice and Ed. John attended school provided by the Catholic nuns at St. Frances, TX. After completing the Primary School, John was given a scholarship to attend ninth grade at Price College which is now Holy Cross Catholic Academy in Amarillo. Farming was the family business which was abruptly uprooted by government agents when the Pantex Plant was planned. The family was forced to leave their home and farm. They eventually resettled close to Umbarger.
John was drafted into the U.S. Army November 1, 1944 and served with the First Airborne Division in Japan. At one point his mother thought he had perished because of the news they were hearing. However, the day they shipped out, John was given a task by the Army Chaplain and was not sent with his unit. He was part of the occupational forces in Japan.
After being Honorably discharged from the Army, John returned home, became involved in Saint Mary’s church and went into farming with his father. He met Mary Rietman at a parish picnic at Happy. They married on January 9, 1952 in Charleston, Arkansas and established a homestead a few miles from his folk’s house in Umbarger. John would do many kinds of work over his lifetime. Farming, dirt work, selling combine parts and finally, repairing riding lawnmowers.
John is preceded in death by his wife, Mary, his oldest son, Jim Grabber, and a daughter, Clara Grabber. Survivors include four children, Pat Grabber of San Antonio, Bernadette Townsend of Canyon, Irene Grabber of Amarillo, and Tom Grabber of Amarillo; one brother Bernard Grabber of Umbarger; one sister, Bernice Grabber-Tintes of Wilmer, MN; seven grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.
John was born on March 10, 1926 at home in Carson County, Texas to Frank and Clara Grabber and joined three sisters. The family grew to 11 siblings, Mary, Margaret, Florence, John, Leona, Lillian, Teresa, Eugene, Bernard, Bernice and Ed. John attended school provided by the Catholic nuns at St. Frances, TX. After completing the Primary School, John was given a scholarship to attend ninth grade at Price College which is now Holy Cross Catholic Academy in Amarillo. Farming was the family business which was abruptly uprooted by government agents when the Pantex Plant was planned. The family was forced to leave their home and farm. They eventually resettled close to Umbarger.
John was drafted into the U.S. Army November 1, 1944 and served with the First Airborne Division in Japan. At one point his mother thought he had perished because of the news they were hearing. However, the day they shipped out, John was given a task by the Army Chaplain and was not sent with his unit. He was part of the occupational forces in Japan.
After being Honorably discharged from the Army, John returned home, became involved in Saint Mary’s church and went into farming with his father. He met Mary Rietman at a parish picnic at Happy. They married on January 9, 1952 in Charleston, Arkansas and established a homestead a few miles from his folk’s house in Umbarger. John would do many kinds of work over his lifetime. Farming, dirt work, selling combine parts and finally, repairing riding lawnmowers.
John is preceded in death by his wife, Mary, his oldest son, Jim Grabber, and a daughter, Clara Grabber. Survivors include four children, Pat Grabber of San Antonio, Bernadette Townsend of Canyon, Irene Grabber of Amarillo, and Tom Grabber of Amarillo; one brother Bernard Grabber of Umbarger; one sister, Bernice Grabber-Tintes of Wilmer, MN; seven grandchildren; and eight great grandchildren.