Arthur "Art" Grothouse

Arthur J. “Art”Grothouse, 96, of Delphos, passed away on Saturday, January 6, 2018, at St. Rita’s Medical Center.

He was born September 6, 1921, to John and Inez (Knittle) Grothouse who both preceded him in death.  He was united in marriage on June 14, 1947, to Mary T. (Ricker) at St. John’s Catholic Church by Monsignor E.C. Herr.  She survives in Delphos.

Arthur is also survived by two sons, Tim (Carla) Grothouse and Dan A. Grothouse, both of Delphos; six grandchildren, Todd (Barb) and Scott (Chris) Hoersten, of Ottoville; Mike (Liberty) Hoersten, of Columbia City, IN; Kerry (Rick) Burris of Delphos; Adam Grothouse of Evansville, IN and  April Grothouse of Toledo; ten great grandchildren, Haley, Kylee, Jeremy, Madison, Morgan, Brice and Bristol Hoersten, Madison and Connor Burris, and Everly Grothouse. He is also survived by one son in law, Harold Hoersten of Ottoville. 

He was preceded in death by one daughter, Connie Hoersten, one granddaughter, Heather Grothouse, two half brothers, Ollie and Raymond Grothouse, and one sister, Barbara Sterling. 

Arthur enlisted in the US Air Force the day after Pearl Harbor in 1941.  He was a Tech Sergeant and Crew Chief on B-24 planes.  He was in Alaska and the Pacific Islands then in Okinawa when the war ended.  He was a 1939 graduate of St. John’s High School where he was named an All-Ohio basketball player.  He was the oldest living blue jay basketball player.  He retired from the Bending Company/Orbitron after 47 years of service.  Arthur was a life member of the VFW Post 3035 and American Legion Post 268.   He was a very enthusiastic sports fan especially for the Blue Jays, the Yankees, and  Notre Dame.  He kept score for Bob Arnzen for twenty years, and for sixteen years he kept score for his son, Dan’s 8th grade basketball teams. He also loved to read and solve Sudoku puzzles, and once painted over 100 fire hydrants just for fun.   

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, January 11, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. at St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church.  Burial will follow in St. John’s Cemetery.  Full Military Rites will be conducted by the Delphos Veteran’s Council. Friends may call on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, from 2-8 p.m.  at Harter and Schier Funeral Home where a Parish Wake will be held at 7:30 p.m.  Memorial contributions may be made to St. John’s Schools or St. Jude.

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