Dr. Abron Adrian Grandia

Dateline: Edwardsville Abron Adrian Grandia was born on December 28, 1926 and subsequently raised on a small farm in rural Iowa which typified the life of this gentle, compassionate man who lived a life filled with passion, tempered by humility and leadership by example. He went through the public school system in Pella Iowa and the summer of his junior year of high school he was horseback riding and was kicked by another horse, fracturing his left femur. Due to the rehabilitation time of that injury in that era he missed his senior year of high school and was subsequently drafted into the army, serving in Japan in WW II. His military service saw the close of the war at which time he returned to the family farm with all intensions of engaging the honorable occupation of farming for his life’s career. Enter Bernice Vansteenis, who he fondly referred to as Bea, who, over the course of time, became his loving, able and willing partner for just shy of 64 years of marriage. Along with Bea’s encouragement he decided to pursue medicine and eventually Orthopedic surgery. Following completion of his Orthopedic training at the University of Iowa, he relocated Bea and his three children Ronn, Lonn and Shawn to Alton Illinois in 1961 where he began his Orthopedic practice. He became a gifted surgeon and an immeasurable asset to the profession. He truly loved what he did and was completely immersed in the profession. With skilled hands and use of plates, screws, wires and rods countless useless limbs where restored to full function Although his profession was that of a surgeon, he retained, in equal measure, his love of farming. He purchased a small farm in Alton shortly after beginning his Orthopedic practice in Alton and soon set about building terraces, addressing washouts, improving the quality of the soil. He built ponds and instituted a wild life program. In the early 70’s he acquired some additional ground and was introduced to Mr. Herb Moore and Mr. Charles Schoeneman, local farmers who, following a hand shake agreement, entered a farming partnership that evolved into life long friendships whose whole was truly greater than the sum of its parts. They continued to make improvements on these farms and in 1977 was awarded conservation farmer of the year in Madison county. Busy as he was, he always managed to find time to spend with the family. Much of this was spent on the Mississippi river, skiing from sunup to sundown as well as spending time on his farm. On June 25, 2017 we lost a rare individual who possessed such class and grace, the model by which he lived his life and touched all those around him. Thank you, you will be missed His family invites you to share in remembering his life at Gent Funeral Home from 4:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, June 30, 2017. Graveside services will be held at 3:00 p.m. Saturday, July 1, 2017 at the Porter Grove Cemetery in Leighton, Iowa. Online guestbook and information may be found at www.gentfuneralhome.com

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Dr. Abron Adrian Grandia

December 28, 1926 - June 25, 2017