Jon William Gross

Weslaco - Jon William Gross, 78, passed away on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at Weslaco Nursing and Rehab in Weslaco.  Jon’s remains will be interred at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cemetery in Mt. Carmel, IA. 

Jon was born on September 27, 1944 in Carroll, IA to Zelda and Norbert “Nibbs” Gross.  Jon and his sister Deann grew up on a family farm a few miles north of Carroll, IA.  He graduated from Kuemper High School in 1962 and earned his bachelor’s degree from St. John’s University in Collegeville, MN in 1966. In 1968 he began a long tenured career with Cargill Inc in New Madrid, MO, Princeton, IL, Chicago, IL and at Cargill’s Corporate Headquarters in Wayzata, MN.  He worked as a grain elevator manager, commodities trader and finally as river barge manager. He retired from Cargill in 2005 but came back to help the company following Hurricane Katrina. 

He and his wife, Betty, were married on June 22, 1985 at their family home in Princeton, IL.  Together, they traveled the country in their camper, visiting all 50 US states and most of the Canadian provinces.  Following many years in Illinois and Minnesota, Jon and Betty relocated to Weslaco, Texas to enjoy sunshine and warmth in their retirement years.  Jon enjoyed playing golf, pool, board games and cards. A talented woodworker, Jon built and refurbished many beautiful furniture pieces and helped construct homes for Habitat for Humanity. Together, Jon and Betty supported many non-profit organizations and aimed to enrich the lives of those around them. 

Jon and Betty shared 6 children:  Maggie Oleson (Colby) of Verona, WI; William Gross (Tara) of Princeton, IL; Rachael Gross of Princeton, IL; Mike Blazier (Shiao-Li) of Naperville, IL; Lisa Mingrone (Mark) of Richmond, VA; and Brian Blazier (Tracey) of Plymouth, MN.  They also enjoyed 10 grandchildren, including: Blake Oleson, Wyatt Oleson, Dylan Gross, Ella Lamboley, Gavin Lamboley, Jessica Blessman, Ana Gonzales, Josh Escatel, Amari Mingrone and Bryson Blazier.  Jon is survived by his wife Betty, as well as the children and grandchildren noted above.  He is also survived by his sister Deann Buddin (Russell) of Lake View, IA and his nieces Jodi Jones, Erin Lenz (Randy) and Robyn Clevenger (James) and 5 great grandchildren.  Jon was preceded in death by his father, Norbert “Nibbs” Gross, in December 1978 and his mother, Zelda Gross, in December 2009. 

While Jon did ultimately lose his battle with renal cancer, he participated in groundbreaking research studies in the advancement of finding a cure.