Ione Grubb

Ione (Lehn) Grubb died at Knute Nelson on May 15, 2018 at the age of one hundred years. She was born May 13, 1918  at the Tamble home in Brandon, MN, the third of eight children, of John and Susan (Tamble) Lehn. She took her sacraments at the Church of St. Ann in Brandon; the church that her grandparents, Jacob and Johanna (Lorsung) Tamble and August and Carolyn (Korkowski) Lehn founded.

Ione attended country school in Moe Township and graduated from Brandon High School in 1936. She continued her education at Normal School at St. Cloud State College. Ione became a teacher and loved teaching. She taught at Districts 4, 14, 23, 28, 53, 59 and 72. Ione also taught at Holdingford. In 1969, Ione received a Bachelor of Arts degree in education. She continued teaching at Brandon until her retirement.

The first school she taught at was District 4 near Pocket Lake where she boarded with the Victor and Rose (Maruskie) Grubb family. After a couple of years there, urged on by his sisters, Ervin Grubb began dating Ione; they went to a lot of dances. On June 4, 1940 Ione and Ervin were united in marriage at St. John Nepomuk Catholic Church near Lake Reno. They were blessed with two children, Virgene and James.

In 1947, the family made their home in Leaf Valley, MN. Ione continued her education while making a home, gardening and canning, milking, doing field work, cooking, baking, sewing and doing laundry; all done without running water.

In 1957, Ervin was hired by Roy Strom and the family moved to Brandon. Ione taught herself to play the piano and used her skills to create costumes, plan and help perform school programs. She tutored kids who needed help. Ione taught her own children to swim at Lake Miltona. She also served as a 4-H leader. Ione served her church as a member of the Christian Mothers and the St. Jude Mission Circle.

Ione spent time doing embroidery work, reading, doing crossword and jigsaw puzzles. Ervin and Ione loved dancing but also enjoyed playing bridge, whist and 500. They also did a lot of traveling; they bought a camper and travelled a six-state area. They took many trips with Utopia Tours. In 1996 and 1997 made trips to Switzerland and the Netherlands. In the 1960’s Ione made a three-week tour of Europe with a group of teachers.

Ione is preceded in death by her husband of almost seventy-two years, Ervin Grubb; brothers and sisters, Genevieve, James, Bill, Margaret, Lloyd and Joanne; brother-in-law, Rodney; and sisters-in-law, Virginia, Adeline and Marjorie, and Marjorie’s longtime friend, Leona.

Ione is survived by her children, Virgene Grubb of Alexandria and James Grubb and wife, Barbara, of Fresno, CA; grandchildren, Philip Reiling of Fargo, ND, Christopher Grubb of Los Angeles, CA, Gaylen Grubb of Yuba City, CA and Kasey Anderson of Hawaii; great grandchildren, Aaron Reiling and wife, Holly Ritchie, and April Jensen and husband, Nathen; great great grandchildren, Tristan Reiling and Kiely Reiling, all of Barnesville, MN; sister, Donna Kreps and husband, Roland; special niece, Marcia Weisel of Alexandria; and longtime friend, Joyce Wibstad of Alexandria.

A Memorial Mass will be held at 2 PM, Wednesday, May 23, 2018 at the Church of St. Mary in Alexandria. Interment in St. Ann’s Cemetery in Brandon, MN will follow. Visitation will be from 1 to 2 PM Wednesday at the church. Arrangements are with the Anderson Funeral Home in Alexandria, MN.