Agnes A. Gross

Agnes Gross, 92, of Hawley, MN, passed away Monday, October 15, 2018 at Hawley Senior Living under the care of Hospice of the Red River Valley.

Agnes Vobora was born April 21, 1926 in Granton, WI, daughter of Bohemian immigrants Tony and Mary (Marek) Vobora.  She attended Mayflower Country School in Lynn Township, Clark Co., WI, where she walked 1 ½ miles to school.  There was no electricity or telephones, and they used a wood burning stove for cooking.  A large furnace in the basement provided heat.  There were 10 children and all had chores at a very young age.  Large gardens provided food and her father was a hunter so that was a prime source of meat.  The family always had a lot of chickens for eggs and meat, a few hogs for ham and bacon and the dairy farm provided milk.

During her senior year of high school, she obtained a part-time job as bookkeeper for Welsh Chevrolet auto dealership in Neillsville, WI.  She graduated in May, 1943 from Neillsville High School and then worked full time.  In the fall of 1943 she went to Chicago where she immediately obtained employment with the Veterans Administration in Chicago and in 1946 was transferred to Denver, CO.

Agnes was united in marriage to Leonard Gross on January 21, 1947.  They lived in Missouri and Wyoming before coming to Minnesota.   She was the bookkeeper at the Lake Park Co-op elevator for 31 years and a member of Eksjo Lutheran Church and Lake Park American Legion Auxiliary.  In 1942 she became a member of WBFA Lodge Lewis in Neillsville and later transferred her membership to Lodge #168 in Mahnomen, MN.  At the age of 76 she took in her two youngest grandchildren and raised them for their entire public education where both graduated from Hawley High School.

Agnes is survived by her son, Tony (Melody) Gross, who live on the home farm; daughters, Bonnie Mielke, North Prairie, WI, Mary (John) Tofte, Hensel, ND, and Seadrift, TX, and Jo Anne Wesely, Moorhead, MN;  grandchildren, David Tofte, Fargo, ND, Jessica (Jeff) Gfeller, Duluth, MN, Jenna (Ryan) Kinzler and Carmen Gross, West Fargo, ND, Amber Gross, Valencia, CA, Katelyn Gross, Morris, MN, Ryan Rockwell, Fargo, ND and Renee Rockwell, Mankato, MN; two great-grandchildren, Kaitlin and Megan Gfeller; sisters, Angela Garbisch and Libbie Wickland, Neillsville, WI, and Josephine Bartlett, West Allis, WI.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Leonard (2000); son, Sgt. Robert (1970) (twin to Mary); granddaughter Kayla (1993); brothers, Anton, James, Frank, George and Stanley; sister, Marie; several nieces and nephews and son-in-law, Bob Mielke.

In lieu of flowers, memorials preferred to Hospice of the Red River Valley.

A visitation will be held on Friday, October 19, 2018 from 5-7 PM at Wright Funeral Home, Hawley, MN.

The funeral will be held on Saturday, October 20, 2018 at 11:00 AM at Wright Funeral Home, Hawley, MN.

Burial will be in Eksjo Lutheran Church Cemetery, Lake Park, MN.