Roman Grueter, 93, of Port Orange, Fla., died Nov. 16, 2018 of complications from pneumonia and Parkinson’s disease. Born March 20, 1925 in Burlington to John and Clementine (nee Kasner) Grueter, he was eighth of ten children and spent his early life in Burlington. He was a constable for Wheatland Township while working on his family farm and for other nearby farms. In 1953, he met Chicago native, Marie Kopczynski while she vacationed in Twin Lakes. They married in 1955 at St. Stanislaus Kostka Catholic Church in Chicago and settled nearby for four years before moving to Des Plaines, Ill. in 1959 to raise their expanding family. For 29 years, Roman (widely known as “Slim”) made soap for Proctor & Gamble.
In 1986, Roman retired and they moved to Bohners Lake where he was an avid reader in the winter and a renowned gardener in the summer for most of his 34 year Wisconsin retirement. In 2017, he relocated to Florida to be closer to family. He enjoyed traveling, oil painting, and time spent with his Wisconsin and Chicago families and neighbors. Roman was a cherished husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather.
Roman is survived by his wife, Marie; children, Thomas (Betty) Grueter, Barbara Green, Sandra (Kenneth) Weld, and Stephen (Jeanne) Grueter; grandchildren, Nathan Grueter, Amanda (Adam) Lemke, Tyler Grueter, Jason Grueter, Kenneth Roman Weld, and Tristan Weld; and great grandchildren, Logan and Colton Lemke.
A Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, Nov. 26, 2018 at Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church in Port Orange, Fla. Committal Services will follow at 11:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec 7, 2018 in the chapel at St. Adalbert Catholic Cemetery in Niles, Ill.
Mass offering memorials would be appreciated or donations may be made to Parkinson.org.
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