Harold A. Grandprey

Robert Grandprey was born on August 22, 1924, near Montevideo, Minnesota, to Jane and Joseph Grandprey. He had one older brother, Milton, and two younger sisters, Vivian and Adaline. Robert attended a one-room schoolhouse for the first eight years of his education before moving on to Monty High School for four years. After high school, he worked for six months at Zyers Dairy, putting in 70 hours a week for $18.00. In 1943, Robert enlisted in the United States Army and spent the first two years attending various training programs, including basic training, advanced infantry training, and medical and X-ray training.

Robert later joined the 99th Infantry Division during the Battle of the Bulge, enduring brutal winter conditions. His unit joined Patton’s 3rd Army as they moved south through Germany into Austria. Robert was injured in a mine explosion while riding a tank, causing damage to his knee. Despite his injury, he remained in service and was later awarded a 10% disability rating.

Following the German surrender, Robert’s unit prepared to deploy to Japan, but the war ended before their redeployment. Due to his essential military occupational specialty in X-ray technology, Robert remained in service, operating the X-ray discharge program at Camp McCoy in Wisconsin for an additional six months. During that time, his team processed over 1,000 soldiers each day. After completing his service, Robert worked for another 12 months as a civilian at Camp McCoy, continuing his medical work and briefly serving as a military police officer.

Upon returning to Minnesota, Robert attended vocational school in Minneapolis before starting his engineering career at a small firm. He later joined Sperry Corporation as a draftsman and pursued certification in mechanical engineering at the University of Minnesota. Robert advanced to positions in engineering and production, ultimately serving as a production specialist reporting to the Vice President. He remained with Sperry/Univac for 30 years.

At Minnehaha Falls, Robert met Beverly Jane Smith two years later, on May 1, 1948, and they shared 68 years together. They raised three children—Gary, Gail, and Greg—and Robert later welcomed six grandchildren, five great-grandchildren, and, in 2024, his first great-great-grandchild. After retiring, Robert and Beverly divided their time between Sarasota, Florida, and Minnesota. Beverly passed away in 2015 at the age of 89.

"This year I will celebrate my 100th birthday on August 22nd with family, friends, and relatives I haven’t seen in years."