Published in the Omaha World Herald October 11, 2003

Funeral services are set today for longtime umpire Greunke

More than 30 umpires will be in rural Arlington, Neb. this morning to say goodbye to colleague Lyle Greunke, who died Wednesday following a heart attack last Sunday.

Greunke, 63, was behind the plate during a game at Dana College in Blair, Neb., when he collapsed. He was taken to Bergan Mercy Medical Center in Omaha by life-flight helicopter but never recovered.

All umpire associations from Omaha will serve as honorary pallbearers at the funeral, which take place at 10 a.m. at St. Paul Lutheran Church, which is 4 ½ miles north of Arlington on County Road 9.

“Lyle umpired for more than 30 years,” said Denny Jones, head of Metro Umpires. “Lyle handled a lot of baseball around the Arlington area. He had an abstract wit about him. He was an incredibly kind, nice fellow.”

It’s been a difficult year for longtime umpires who belong to Jones’ organization. One umpire died during the season of cancer.

Immdiate survivors include his wife, Beverly, one son, Brian, of Fremont Neb., and a daughter, Marcia Christensen of Audubon, Iowa.

#2-Published in the Pilot-Tribune October 14, 2003 Lyle G. Greunke, 63, of Arlington, died Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2003, at Bergan Mercy Medical Center in Omaha. Mr. Greunke died as a result of a massive heart attack suffered while umpiring a baseball game on Sunday, Oct. 5, in Blair.

Funeral services were Saturday, Oct. 11, at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, north of Arlington with the Rev. Rick Kanoy officiating. Military graveside services at St. Paul’s Lutheran Cemetery were conducted by members of V.F.W. Post No. 8332 and American Legion Post No. 71, both of Arlington.

Lyle G. Greunke was born Feb. 29, 1940, in rural Arlington to Max and Elsa (Knecht) Greunke. He was raised on the family farm near Arlington and was a lifetime resident of the Arlington area. He attended St. Paul’s grade school, the Bisbee School in rural Washington County, and was a 1957 graduate of Arlington High School.

He served in the U. S. Army from Dec. 4, 1959, to Feb. 23, 1962, and was stationed in Germany.

On Jan. 30, 1965, he married Beverly Royuk at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, north of Arlington.

He farmed with his father, then operated Greunke’s 66 Service Station in Arlington. He worked as a welder at Valmont Industries in Valley from March 1968 until retiring in April 2002. Since then, he has been employed part-time at Woodhouse Ford in Blair.

While he was growing up, his family was very sports oriented. He passed that on to his family by coaching his son, Brian, and daughter, Marcia, as they grew up. He missed very few of their games. In 1957, he pitched a no-hitter; 30 years later, his son followed in his footsteps by pitching a no-hitter.

Lyle and his wife, Bev, participated and followed many Arlington school activities. He played eight years of American Legion and town team baseball. He played for Scheer Oil and other teams in the fast pitch softball league in Fremont for more than 20 years. He began umpiring in softball and has been a certified baseball umpire for more than 30 years. His umpire association memberships have included the Midwest Umpire Association, ASA, OSA, USSSA, Metro Umpires Association, MIAA, NSAA, and Nebraska Umpire Association.

He is survived by his wife, Bev; daughter and son-in-law, Marcia and Dalton Christensen of Audubon, Iowa; son and daughter-in-law, Brian and Jennifer Greunke of Fremont; twin sister and brother-in-law, Lila and Howard Scheer of Arlington; three brothers and sisters-in-law, the Rev. Dean and Janette Greunke of Plainfield, Ill., Kenneth and Marlene Greunke and Marlin and Eloise Greunke, all of Arlington; four grandchildren; mother-in-law, Esther Royuk of Arlington; brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, Ron and Elaine Royuk of New Orleans, La., and Dick and Gloria Royuk of North Bend; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Linda and Paul Staros of Baltimore, Md.

He was preceded in death by his parents, and his father-in-law, John Royuk.

Memorials are suggested to the Two Rivers Sports Complex at Arlington; the Arlington Education Foundation; and St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Building Fund.

Reckmeyer-Moser Funeral Home in Arlington was in charge of arrangements.

Obituarirs courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file at the Blair Public Library.