Grinvalds, Vitauts November 1, 1927 - March 29, 2020 He was born in Smiltene Latvia on All Saints Day, November 1, 1927, the same year as television and Mount Rushmore. He grew up on a peaceful farm during the heart of Latvia's independence before the Second World War which would later shape the direction of his life. He was an excellent student and had plans to study mathematics or engineering, but when he was 12, the Soviet Army took over Latvia, and the soldiers were notorious for demanding farmers to donate their livestock. Vitauts remembered how he and his father hid their cows and horses in a swamp to avoid capture. A few years later, the German Army took control of Latvia from the Soviets, and at age 15, Vitauts was drafted into the Latvian Legion to defend his homeland. He left his mother and father's farm in Smiltene, and would not return for a long, long time. In 1945, he landed in Germany where he would finish out the war by being captured, spending time in a POW camp in France, and then eventually living in Displaced Persons camps in Germany along with many of his Latvian brethren. In these camps in Wiesbaden and Fulda, he finished his High School education, and he also learned how to cook Latvian rye bread, mushroom soup, and pretzels which would become his claim to fame later in life. Four years after the war ended, Vitauts secured passage to America by working on an orange farm in California. He stayed there one year working alongside minorities, and here he learned how some people were treated differently because of their skin color. This forever made him believe in tolerance. After he worked off his passage to America, Vitauts then traveled to Memphis where he worked on a road crew. After getting a draft notice to go to fight in Korea, he was luckily helped by Latvian pastor, Pavils Kirsons, who was able to get him a scholarship to Midland Lutheran College in Fremont, NE. There, he studied theology, graduating with a Master's degree in Divinity from the Central Seminary in 1957. During this time, he also met the love of his life, Liesma Grinvalds nee Grinbergs whose family had come to Blair, NE from Latvia after the war. They were married on August 21, 1954. Their first child, Andra was born in 1955. She was followed by her brother Arnolds in 1956. After finishing his degree, Vitauts went on to be a Pastor at three Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Nebraska. His first Parish was in Sterling (1957-1960) where his sons Pauls and Normans were born. The family then moved to rural Gothenburg to serve at Zion Lutheran Church (1960-1970) where Vitauts helped build a new house of worship, and where two more of his children were born, Susan and Alan. His final English-speaking congregation was in Yutan, NE at St. John's Lutheran Church (1970-1993) where with his guidance and the support of the congregation a new building was erected. Also his seventh and final child, Jeffrey was born. Altogether, he was a Pastor in the ELCA Ministry for 36 years. During this time, he also served as a Latvian language Pastor in Des Moines, IA as well as helping with the Omaha and Lincoln Latvian congregations. He was also able to return to Latvia to see his mother for the first time in 40 years. After Latvian Independence, he returned three more times making connections with many of his family members still living in the Smiltene area. Vitauts retired from the ELCA in 1993 and took a position as Pastor of the Latvian Evangelical Lutheran Church in Lincoln, NE. He served faithfully at both this Church and the Omaha Latvian Evangelical Church for many years. In 2012, his wife Liesma passed away, and Vitauts retired as a Pastor in 2014 after serving for over 50 years. In 2019, he finished his life's journey by traveling back to Latvia to live in a retirement home in Rauna, only a short drive from his childhood home in Smiltene. Though he lived in America for most of his life, his heart was always in his fatherland, and it was in Latvia where he felt most at home. On March 29, 2020, he passed away peacefully in his sleep. It was the most deserving end to a life well-lived. He loved to cook and to talk, smile and make other people laugh. His greatest joy was any form of card game played with family and friends, and even on his own! People fondly remember watching him play solitaire for hours on end at his kitchen table. He was preceded in death by his father, Janis; mother, Anna; infant sister, Maija; sister, Austra; and younger brother, Janis; as well as Liesma, his wife of 57 years; and his oldest son, Arnolds. He leaves behind his sister-in-law, Astra Grinvalde; six children, Andra Timm, Pauls Grinvalds (Melodie), Normans Grinvalds (Lori), Susan Schiltz (Glen), Alan Grinvalds, and Jeffrey Grinvalds (Rita); along with 18 grandchildren; and 2 great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. A Private Burial will be held on April 21. Memorial Service pending. Memorials to the family to be designated later. "Hugs from Home" project or Condolences online at Roperandsons.com ROPER & SONS FUNERAL SERVICES 4300 O St., Lincoln, NE | (402) 476-1225 www.roperandsons.com

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~