Laura Grubbs

Published 8/19/2008 in Obituaries

Laura Grubbs
ULYSSES — Laura Grubbs, 97, of Roseburg, Ore., died Monday, Aug. 4, 2008.
She was born Oct. 24, 1910, in Meade County, to Gillis Morton and Fannie Belle Roberts Grubbs. In 1917, the family moved to Grant County, where she attended a one-room school across the road from her parent’s home. She graduated from Moscow High School in 1927.
At the age of 17, she began her teaching career in Grant County after scoring the highest score in Kansas on her qualification exam in 1927. She received her teaching degree at Pittsburg State College and a master’s degree from Greeley, Colo. She also completed many postgraduate courses at the University of Oregon, Washington, and Gualdira, Mexico.
A retired teacher of English, Spanish, speech and drama, throughout her 24 years of teaching she taught at Douglas High School, Ashland High School and Rogue River High School in Oregon, and at Plainview, Bird City High School and Ulysses High School in Kansas. During her years at Douglas High School, she directed such musicals as “South Pacific,” “Oklahoma,” “Brigadoon” and others.
Miss Grubbs also worked for Kaiser Ship Builders of Washington in 1942 and for Sullivan Grain of Ulysses in the 1930s. During World War II, she was a Linck pilot trainer in the WAVES from 1943 until 1945, training many beginning pilots. She was active in the National Education Association as a Washington, D.C., convention delegate, belonged to Delta Kappa Gamma, was state secretary and treasurer of the Language Arts Association and a member of Roseburg United Methodist Church. In 1930, she was the first Grant County Wheat Queen to compete in the state contest in Hutchinson.
Survivors include numerous nieces and nephews in Kansas, North Carolina and Oklahoma, including Larry Kepley of Ulysses. She was preceded in death by her parents; a sister, Jennie Louise Kepley; and three brothers, Glenn Morton Grubbs, Everett William Grubbs and Lloyd Leroy Grubbs.
A memorial service will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday at the First United Methodist Church in Ulysses, with the Rev. Wayne Flanders officiating. Burial was in Moscow Cemetery.
Memorials are suggested to the Haiti Children’s Fund or the First United Methodist Church Youth Fund, both in care of Garnand Funeral Home, 405 W. Grant Ave., Ulysses, KS 67880.

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