Obituary of Grant M. Wellborn

Grant M. Wellborn, 92, of Iowa City, died Sunday, February 26, 2012, at the Lantern Park Nursing and Rehab Center in Coralville. A gathering time for family and friends will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, March 4, 2012, at Gay & Ciha Funeral and Cremation Service in Iowa City, with military honors being provided to conclude this time at 4p.m. Memorial donations can be made in Grant's memory to Iowa City Hospice. Online condolences may be sent for his family on the web @ www.gayandciha.com. Grant Manfred Wellborn was born July 11, 1919, in Des Moines the son of Clarence and Nina (Tuttle) Wellborn. Grant enlisted the United States Army during WWII. Once deployed to Europe he served as a tank commander, was involved in the invasion of Normandy on D-Day, and received the Purple Heart. Grant was united in marriage to Betty Wellborn in 1942, and the couple lived in Cedar Falls for many years until a few years before Betty's death in 1978. He later married Dorothy Seitje and they lived in Des Moines until her death in 2008, when he moved to Iowa City in 2009. Grant was a lifelong member of the Shriners, the El Kahir – Blackhawk Court of Waterloo/Cedar Falls, and the ZaGaZig of Des Moines, enjoying his involvement in different activities, especially being a member of the motorcycle patrol. Grant loved the outdoors, camping, boating and a lifelong passion of motorcycle riding well in to his later years. He was one that enjoyed visiting with others and was one that would do anything to help someone in need. His family includes his two daughters, Jackie Wellborn of Iowa City and Deb Heller of Palo; grandchildren, Brock Killion (Melissa), Amber Biga (John), Alissa Meador, Shannon Armentrout (Dane), and Mike VandeBerg (Theresa); great-grandchildren, Logan and Colvin Killion, Maddix Biga, Zoi Meador, Sarah VandeBerg, Corey VandeBerg, and Kayla; Clay Hoffman, Grant Armentrout, and Cooper Armentrout. He also has step-children, grandchildren and great grandchildren in the Des Moines area. Grant was preceded in death by his parents, wives, daughter, Judy Simon, and son-in-law, Larry Heller.