Douglas "Doug" Vincent Grotheer, 78, of Weir, passed away at 10:20 p.m. Monday, Dec. 12, 2022, at his home surrounded by his family.
He was born April 19, 1944, in Anniston, Alabama, the son of Karl Krause and Lottie Elizabeth (Gragg) Grotheer. He attended Washington Elementary and graduated from Pittsburg High School in 1964. He later received his master's in child psychology from Kansas State Teacher College, now Pittsburg State University. While at college, Doug served in the ROTC program.
In 1966, Doug was united in marriage to Janice Dierks for seventeen years. They then divorced. On Jan. 13, 1990, he was united in marriage to Laura York Shank in Joplin, Missouri. She survives at the family home.
Doug started his teaching and coaching career in Liberal, Missouri, from 1964 to 1966. In 1966, he began teaching at Weir Elementary, where he taught, coached, and drove a school bus until he retired in 2000. While teaching, Doug was also a farmer and taught summer classes at Pittsburg State University. After retirement from the school, Doug could not sit still, so he became a delivery driver for Air Gas, drove a semi for JCB Farms, and later for S&T Trucking in McCune.
Membership was held in the Zion Lutheran Church, KNEA, and he loved to hunt and fish.
In addition to his wife, Laura, of the home, he is survived by three sons, Vincent John "V.J." Grotheer (B.J.) of Pittsburg, Kurt Grotheer (Linda) of rural McCune, and Jacob Grotheer (Sylvia) of Weir; three step-daughters, Hannah Anderson (Sean) of Frontenac, Sarah Shank of Weir, and Jessica Shank (Guido Ascanio) of Weir; a brother, Martin Grotheer, M.D. of Miami, Oklahoma; four sisters, Phyllis Gaylor of Weir, Jane Crane of Grand Lake, Oklahoma, Elaine Phelps (Ron) of Port St. Lucie, Florida, and Marlena Bolt of Weir; nine grandchildren, Briston Kapler, Lydia and Sadie Grotheer, Jayden Lyric Jarvis, Lucy, Nora and Greta Anderson, and Langston and Dottie Kay Hardwick; nieces and nephews, Lydia, Patrick, and Will; and extended family, Derek Scholes (Autumn), Shelby Scholes (Dani), Sara Scholes and Brent Scholes.
He was preceded in death by his parents and a half-sister, Rebecca.
A Service will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 17, 2022, at the Zion Lutheran Church in Pittsburg, with Pastor Theodore Cook officiating. A Celebration of Life will be held at 6:30 p.m., Friday, Jan. 13, 2023, at the Weir Civic Center. Interment will take place at a later date in the Zion Lutheran Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you plant a tree in Doug's name. Online condolences may also be left at www.brennermortuary.com on his obituary page. Arrangements are under the direction of the Brenner Mortuary, Pittsburg, Kansas.
