Cover photo for Doris Gravrock's Obituary
Doris Gravrock Profile Photo
1925 Doris 2017

Doris Gravrock

August 21, 1925 — November 5, 2017

Doris Gravrock (Stolen) was born in Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, on August 21, 1925, the second of two daughters born to Rev. Ernest G. and Myrtle I. (Monson) Stolen.

When Doris was still a small child, her father was called into the Lutheran ministry, attending seminary in Red Wing and St. Paul, Minnesota. Doris grew up then as a pastor's daughter, first in Wittenberg, Wisconsin, where her parents directed the Homme Children's Home, and then in Racine, Wisconsin, where Doris graduated from high school in 1944.

Doris attended St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota, beginning in 1944, while her father served overseas as a chaplain in WWII. There at St. Olaf in 1945, she met a young freshman just back from the war, Howard Gravrock. Doris and Howard married on May 31, 1946. Doris worked on campus that next year while Howard continued school. They recall these St. Olaf years, freshly married and surrounded by lifelong friends, as some of the best years of their lives.

Their first child, Stephen, was born in 1947 while they were at St. Olaf. Second son Mark was born in 1951 while they were in St. Paul, with Howard attending Luther Seminary. Daughter Sylvia would follow in 1954 while they were in their second parish.

Doris and Howard served several congregations of the Lutheran Church: Hardin, Montana (1952-53), Kiester, Minnesota (1954-56), West Sacramento, California, where they started a new congregation (1957-60), and Minneota, Minnesota (1960-62). In 1962, they moved to Minneapolis, where Howard served as an editor for Augsburg Publishing House (1962-67), and Doris worked in a gift shop and as a dental assistant. In 1967 they returned to parish ministry, serving in Fullerton, California (1967-72), and Osceola, Wisconsin (1972-79). During those years Doris worked again for a dentist (California) and for the school district (Wisconsin). After a two-year stint managing a fishing resort in Republic, Washington, they returned to the Twin Cities in 1981. There Doris worked for the United Way while Howard served as visitation pastor in South St. Paul.

Howard's health crises began in the early 1980's. After two serious strokes, he and Doris retired in 1990 to Red Wing, Minnesota, where Doris's sister and her husband lived. Doris resided in Jordan Towers for 27 years, faithfully caring for her husband until his death in 2007. After Howard died, Doris rediscovered her love of reading, and enjoyed weekly get-togethers with her sister LaVonne, and monthly gatherings of college friends.

Doris was a spark of joy. Playful and serious, compassionate and silly, faith-filled and down-to-earth, she was devoted to others and she was very much her own person. It has always been clear to us that Doris and Howard loved their Lord Jesus completely, loved each other completely, and loved their kids completely - in that order.

Doris moved into St. Crispin's Seminary Home in Red Wing in July of 2017, consciously paring down and embracing a new chapter of her life. She was eager and ready to go home to her Lord, and at the same time joyful and content to be living where she was so well cared for. Doris died on November 5, 2017. She was 92 years old.

Doris was preceded in death by her parents, her son Stephen (killed in Vietnam in 1972), her husband Howard, and her sister LaVonne.

She is survived by her son Mark (and his wife Peggy), her daughter Sylvia, her grandchildren - Rebecca, Stephen, and Deborah Gravrock and Michael and Andrew Aarsvold - and many nieces and nephews.

A service will be 2p.m. Saturday, November 11, 2017 at United Lutheran Church. A private family burial took place at Oakwood. Online condolence may be left for the family at www.mahnfamilyfuneralhome.com

Graveside Service

NOV 10 (CST)

Oakwood Cemetery - Red Wing
1611 East Ave
Red Wing, MN

Memorial Service

NOV 11. 2:00 PM (CST)

United Lutheran Church
628 West 5th Street
Red Wing, MN 55066
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Doris Gravrock, please visit our flower store.

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