William J. Grow

William Junior Grow, son of William Henry Jr. Grow and Ethel (Graham) Grow, was born March 31, 1925 at Salt Lake City, Utah. He was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints on April 1, 1933. Bill was the eldest of four children. Bill’s dad was a plumber and it turned into a family tradition. His dad loved to fish and hunt, and often took Bill and his brother Robert with him and it immediately became a passion for them. This was reflected in the stories they told when returning home. Bill graduated from South High School in 1942 in Salt Lake City. He worked as a plumber for 50 cents an hour until he joined the Navy on June 14, 1943. He attended boot camp in Farragut, Idaho. Because of his plumbing experience, he became a ship fitter in the Navy and was assigned to the USS Aries. He served in the South Pacific throughout the remainder of the war. He was honorably discharged on March 5, 1946. Bill returned to plumbing in Salt Lake City and was elected business agent for Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 19 for 7 years. Bill began work for Jelco Construction, Inc. in 1963, moving his family from Stockton, California to Bellevue, Washington and finally to Auburn, Nebraska. He worked as Jelco’s Project manager at Cooper Nuclear Station during its construction. After retirement, Bill served as a Foreman of Church Buildings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints for 7 years.

An avid golfer, he was a longtime member of the Auburn Country Club and served as its president. He managed the club for several years. Bill was a member of American Legion Post 23 of Auburn and served on the Board of Directors of the Nemaha County Museum. Bill was very active in his church, serving in multiple positions over the years, including being a High Councilman. He spent several years serving missions in the Chicago, Saint Louis, Saint George, and Winter Quarters Temples.

On December 5, 1946, he married his next door neighbor and childhood sweetheart, Donna Hackett. The couple had seven children: Jacquelyn, William Steven, Michael David, Debra, Catherine, Penny and Don Andrew. After the death of Donna Grow on June 18, 1971, he found himself widowed with five of his children still at home. Two years later he married Helga Nielsen and was widowed after 12 years of marriage. On March 26, 1987, Bill married Nadine Jawnie Nelson, who enjoyed serving with him during his temple missions. Bill and Jawnie enjoyed traveling throughout the United States. Bill took pride in his lawn, flowers and garden. He was an excellent carpenter and completed many alterations and additions to his homes wherever he lived.

Bill entered Bryan East Hospital in Lincoln, Nebraska on Friday, April 17, and was able to visit extensively with family and friends before passing away peacefully April 20, 2015.

He is survived by his wife, Jawnie, Auburn, daughter Jackie and husband David Young, Beaver Dam, AZ; daughter-in-law Sabra Grow, Omaha; son Mike and wife Melanie Grow, Lincoln; daughter Debra and husband David Neddenriep, Omaha; daughter Cathy and husband Randy Rohrs, Johnson; daughter Penny and husband Lonnie Neddenriep, Johnson; son Andy and wife Mona Grow, Lincoln; sister Anne Sharp, Saint George, UT, sister-in-law Bonnie Grow, Salt Lake City; stepson Terry Kirk and wife Rita Baumann, Omaha; stepdaughter Carolynn Norris and husband Frank, Tacoma, WA, 28 grandchildren and 54 great-grandchildren and many friends. He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Dick and Robert, and son Steven.

A funeral service will be Friday, April 24, 10:30 a.m. at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Nebraska City. Burial will be at Alpine City Cemetery at Alpine, Utah. Visitation will be Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. with family greeting friends from 6:00 to 8:00.