John Grbac

Services are scheduled at 9:30 a.m. Saturday, February 2, at St. Anthony's Catholic Church for John Grbac, 1104 W. Sears Ave., Artesia, New Mexico. Mr. Grbac, 88, died Tuesday, January 29, 2008 at Artesia General Hospital. Fr. Chris Santangelo, SS.CC. will officiate at the services with burial at Woodbine Cemetery. Pallbearers will be A.A. Klein, Lex Klein, Harold Huntsman, Cooper Henderson, Steve Franklin, and Don Alam Honroary pallbearers will be Floyd Economides and all other men from St. Anthony's Catholic Church. A rosary service is also planned for 6:30 p.m. Friday at Terpening Son Mortuary. Visitation at the mortuary will begin at 10:00 a.m. Friday. Mr. Grbac was born December 2, 1919 in Isernia, Italy, the son of Ignatz Grbac and Rose Kinkela Grbac. He served in the Army Air Corp during World War II. On Jan. 2, 1943 he was married to Mary Trueba in Raton, N.M. They came from there to Artesia in 1952. He was a foreman at the potash mines and was a State Mine Inspector. He was a member of St. Anthony's Catholic Church; hunted and fished as a young man, and loved watching Bulldog sports. He was preceded in death by his parents, and by a sister Mary Wiebalk. Survivors include his wife Mary Grbac of the family home; a son Dick Grbac and wife Suzi of Houston, Texas; and one niece and two nephews. Memorial contributions may be made the Artesia Good Samaritan Center.