Kenneth M. Grell, 95, of Blue Springs, died March 8, 2023, at the Beatrice Community Hospital in Beatrice.  Kenneth was born to Frank and Mildred (Hood) Grell on a farm near Blue Springs on November 13, 1927.  He attended Maple Grove School, District 143, of rural Blue Springs, and graduated from Beatrice High School in 1945.  He and his wife, Dorothy (Hajek), were married July 24, 1965, at St. Mary Church, Odell, and settled on the family farm, where they raised their three children.  Prior to residing at the nursing home, Kenneth lived on the family farm for all but the first two years of his life.  Kenneth is survived by his wife, Dorothy, of Blue Springs, and by children, Mary Huggenberger of Lincoln; Father Loras of Wymore; and Mark of Lincoln.  He is survived by one grandchild, Will Huggenberger.  He is also survived by one sister, Loretta Fritschi of Hanover, Kansas.  He was preceded in death by parents, Frank (1990) and Mildred (1974); son-in-law Robert Huggenberger; sisters and brothers-in-law, Lucille and Leland Morris, Doris and Keith Pascal, Robert Fritschi, and Stanley Hajek; sister-in-law Gretchen Hajek; nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Kenneth served in the United States Air Force in 1951, at George Air Force Base in Victorville, California.  He was honorably discharged due to hardship since he was his family’s only son and was needed to help with the family farm.  He began working at the Beatrice Post Office in 1961, delivering packages at Christmas.  Kenneth became a substitute rural mail carrier; at one time, he knew the layout and delivery points for all four Beatrice rural routes.  While continuing to farm, he accepted the offer of a full-time rural route in 1979 and carried Route 4 and Holmesville until he retired in 1996.

Kenneth loved the land he farmed.  He was a good steward, taking measures to limit soil erosion, cutting weeds in his fields, keeping fence lines clean, and maintaining his roadside ditches.  He was proud of owning 34 acres of virgin prairie.  Kenneth ran a cow-calf herd of white-faced Herefords until he sold them at age 81.  While carrying his mail route, he touched many people by his friendly and timely delivery of the mail.  Kenneth was currently the longest-serving member of the Knights of Columbus, Council 1723 Beatrice, having joined the fraternal organization on November 1, 1949.  Kenneth followed in his father’s footsteps, Frank Grell, who was a charter member of Council 1723. 

As his health diminished over the years, he lived at Angels Landing at the Good Samaritan Society in Beatrice.  The family profoundly thanks all those who took care of him in this memory care household.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 AM Tuesday, March 14, 2023 at the St. Joseph Catholic Church in Beatrice. The service will be Livestreamed at www.ghchapel.com. Interment with military honors provided by the United States Air Force will be at the St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery. The body will lie in state Sunday from 12:00-5:00, and from 9-6:00 on Monday at the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice, and in state at the church one hour preceding the service on Tuesday. Scriptural prayer service (Rosary) will be held at 7:00 PM Monday at the church. A memorial has been established to the St. Joseph Catholic School and St. Gregory the Great Seminary with the funeral home in charge. View further service information, leave a memory of Kenneth, and watch the Livestream and his video tribute on his obituary page at www.ghchapel.com.

 These services have been entrusted to the Griffiths-Hovendick Chapel in Beatrice.